Prison Camp
by MusicNinja
Summary: Shikamaru, Ino and Choji have been captured and placed in a prison camp by Orochimaru. THERE IS SEX, RAPE, ABUSE AND OTHER BAD THIINGS! Do not read unless fully prepared to be grossed out andor horrified. ShikaInofic. No Promises to pll lookin' for horror
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any naruto charecters. They are property of Kishimoto.

WARNING: KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN! This fic features sex, torture and abuse. Don't say I didn't warn you. IT IS A PRISON FIC! (noone's gay though, 'cept Orochimaru) THINGS ARE DARK! NOT A HAPPY FIC! Got it? Enjoy

CHAPTER 5 IS UP!

* * *

"_Take care of my body, Shikamaru!"_

"_S-sorry, Shikamaru. I-I can't…"_

"_Choji, wake the hell up! Choji! Choji!"_

"_Release! Shikamaru, there's too many of them."_

"_Ino… Ino, stay with me! Ino!"_

"_Shit."_

"Mendokusee…" Shikamaru Nara turned over in his bunk and opened his eyes. God, this place was even ruining sleep for him. The entire experience of being in prison was down right troublesome. And he thought just being a ninja of Konoha was troublesome…he was so full of shit back then. Just being a ninja was easy, train a couple hours a day, and missions every couple of weeks, dealing with Tsunade…that shit used to irritate him to no end. Now he'd give almost anything to be nagged at…by Tsunade, by his mother, by…Ino. He'd give everything to be nagged at by Ino. _But…_He reminded himself, _things could be worse._

"Choji…hey, Choji, you awake?"

"'Course I'm awake!" Choji's stomach grumbled, "Hey, Shikamaru, you got any food?"

"I gave you the last of the stash twelve hours ago, when they feed us last."

"I know."

"Then why ask?" Shikamaru groaned inwardly and flexed his fingers. The sound ninja had kept his arms tied since they were captured, three weeks five days and thirty two minutes, to prevent him from doing ninjutsu, and his fingers were about all he could move.

"I don't know." Choji sighed, "I get dumb when I'm hungry. These sound bastards…" his stomach growled again, "They don't feed us for shit."

"At least they've stopped starving us." Shikamaru said. "Remember the first five days?"

"The first two were alright; I was still unconscious…but the last three were murder."

The Otogakure ninja didn't need to tie Choji's hands to stop him doing ninjetsu. In addition to betraying them, The Uchiha bastard (Shikamaru did not allow himself to use the traitor's name) had given Orochimaru every last on of their secrets, including the fact that Akimichis needed food to create chakra. So they starved the both of them, Choji: to make him harmless and Shikamaru…because they were bastards. He didn't know if they had starved her…he didn't know what they were doing with her.

"Do you think Ino's alright?"

"Ino…" If he could have wiped the tears away, Shikamaru would have. As it was, he was merely glad Choji couldn't see his face. How troublesome. "Ino will be fine. She's…She can be a real bitch…she's the strongest Konoha's got. She'll make it. Probably come barging in here any second with dead sound all over the place and a cocky little grin on her face."

"And meat in her hands…" Choji whispered.

* * *

"_It's fucking bitch, Tenten." Ino slurped her smoothie through the clear plastic straw, "At least you've got that sexy Neji Hyuga on your team. I'm stuck with a lazy bum who never does anything and a fat ass. Of course, Dad couldn't be happier!"_

"_That's right." Tenten said, "Wasn't he on the same team as their fathers too?"_

"_Yeah. We've known each other since we were kids." Ino sighed, "I swear to god, I think they set it up! Shikamaru and Choji hit it off when they were like, eight or something. Not surprising when you think about it, two losers sitting around watching clouds and getting fat. I sure got gypped. You get Neji. Hinata gets fine ass Kiba Inuzuka and mystery man Shino Aburame…"_

"_Shino? Really? I always thought he was kind of creepy."_

"_Yeah but the glasses are so badass!" Ino sighed, "Not that I mind too much about you and Hinata. What really pisses me off is that Bitch Sakura gets fucking Sasuke!"_

Ino sighed. She used to be so smitten with Sasuke. Now the only reason she would ever want to be alone with him would be to slit his traitor's throat and watch him bleed to death on the floor. That would be so satisfying. Then she could find the other two and they could all go home. Sakura would never forgive Ino for killing Sasuke but…there was no reason anyone in Konoha had to know. As long as they could go home.

_Shit._ Ino thought, _the least they could do in give me some water. No… I'd probably drown._

She hadn't seen Shikamaru or Choji or moved her body of her own will for at least three weeks. Sometimes it seemed like more, staring at the same damned ceiling day after day after day.

_Does Shikamaru have to stare at the ceiling too?_ She wondered, _or do they let him move? Knowing that lazy boy he wouldn't get up even if they let him._

_God, I'm going crazy in here._ Ino thought. It seemed like years ago since they were captured by the sound and she'd woken up three days later with her arms, legs and head fastened down to a very uncomfortable bed. The restraints were to keep her from taking over anyone's body and everyday a woman called Ginna would come in and spoon feed her some sort of disgust gruel that tasted like dog shit. Ino thought it was everyday but sometimes it seemed Ginna forgot to feed her. Ginna never spoke and Ino never got a good look at her face. In fact, she didn't even know the woman's name; she only called her Ginna to keep from going crazy.

The only other person who visited her, other than Ginna, was the ex-crush bastard Uchiha Sasuke. Ino could not believe she had ever even thought she loved a man like that! After a year of privately hating Shikamaru and Choji for not bringing him back, she now knew the truth. Sasuke hadn't been kidnapped, he hadn't been dragged against his will as they had, he went of his on volition. He _**stayed**_ of his on volition. He betrayed Konoha.

"_Ino Yanamaka." _He'd coolly greeted her the first day she was awake, _"Fancy meeting you here."_

"_S-Sasuke…" Ino croaked, "Where- where am I?"_

"_Kobe 59."_

"_Where's that?" The name did not sound familiar._

"_The Land of the Sound. One of Orochimaru prisons."_

_The full consequences of that sentence crashed down on her like ton of bricks. "Where's Shikamaru? Where's Choji?"_

_Sasuke laughed harshly, "You really think I'd tell you that, Ino? I'll let you guess… maybe they're here, maybe they're not. Maybe I killed the both of them, hmm?"_

"_If you killed them, I'll kill you!"_

"_You're welcome to try." He stood up then and passed out of her view. His voice remain cold and mildly amused above her head, "Any time you can get out of those restraint, you can try your very best to kill me but I don't think it'll work."_

"_SASUKE! SASUKE!" Ino suddenly felt terror as she never had before, "Tell me where they are! Please, they're my friends! Tell me where they are!"_

_His only response was laughter and the sound of a heavy steel door closing on Ino's shouts._

_Bastard._ Ino thought. That was the first and only day since she'd been trapped here that she'd cried. After sobs had wracked her body and her voice had given way, Ino had made a promise to her self. She would not cry. No matter what they did to her, she would not shed a single tear. Ino Yamanaka would give them the satisfaction of her tears. Until she got of out here and brought the others with her, she would not cry.

* * *

"Shikamaru Nara!" 

"Fuck off!" The prisoner's voice was hoarse and irritable, "I'm trying' to get some sleep, bastards!"

"Rebellious as ever, hunh?" The guards were used to Shikamaru's attitude, they saw it more often than not in the new prisoners, "Wakey, wakey, sleepin' beauty."

A hand wrapped with his neck with a grip that seemed much firmer than necessary and pulled Shikamaru from his bunk. He'd been expecting this but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. The worst part was knowing that he wouldn't even be able to rub his wounds after they were done with him.

"You fucking gorilla, Botan." Shikamaru spat, "Put me the fuck down."

"Gladly." Botan smiled and dropped him. Botan, one of the prison guards was the biggest guy Shikamaru had ever seen, except Choji in his multi-sized ninjetsu. Botan was one of the few who came to Orochimaru of their own will. Shikamaru couldn't even think of Botan's body as an actual body, just a big ball of granite with legs, arms and a sadistic streak attached.

Shikamaru hit the concrete floor with a thud and a dull pain in his forehead. He hoped he wasn't bleeding. He heard Choji sit up in his bunk and prayed the loyal idiot wouldn't try anything. At full strength, he would have made butter out of Botan in a half an hour but after being near starved for over three weeks, Choji wasn't fit to take on a butterfly, let alone this hunk of rock.

"Get up." Botan ordered, "It'll be easier if you cooperate."

"I'll cooperate when I die!"

"That can be arranged." Shikamaru allowed himself a grunt of pain as the guard's steel toed boot crashed into his vital organs.

"Shikamaru!" Choji's voice made him remember what he was supposed to be doing.

"It's alright, Choji." He smiled weakly, "Go back to sleep."

"That's right, little piggy, we'll butcher you later." Botan laughed, "Now get up, Nara."

"Just 'cause you said please." Shikamaru tried to stand up his knees gave way under him and he crashed down to the floor again, "Sorry. Guess I ought to start using all that exercise time you guys give us to my best advantage, hunh? Well, I always been lazy…"

"You're coming to the interrogation room one way or the other, Nara." Botan said grabbing the handcuffs keeping Shikamaru's hands bound and dragging him out of the cell.

"See ya, Choji!" Shikamaru called, "Save me some dinner, alright?"

* * *

"You know, Botan, I'm starting not to enjoy our little walks together." Shikamaru said casually, "Would it be the epitome of bad puns if I said they were a drag?" 

"Heh." Botan laughed, "You're a funny guy, Shikamaru. Let's see what the boss thinks of you."

Shikamaru was silent as Botan secured him to solitary chair in the interrogation room, mainly because he couldn't think of anything sarcastic enough for the occasion. This was his third trip to the interrogation room and he wondered if it would be the same as before.

"So, Orochimaru…" Shikamaru spoke into the darkness after Botan had slammed the heavy iron door, "Same song and dance as last time or something new?"

"That depends on you." For a fifty year old man, his voice was sure high, "Are you going to give me what I want?"

"God, what pervert!" Shikamaru sighed, "You're worse than Jiraiya! At least he likes girls! Hey, Sasuke! Does he try and fuck you up the ass too, ya bastard!?!"

"Don't flatter yourself, boy. You know what I want…join me."

"I've got the will of fire of Asuma Sarutobi, bitch!" Shikamaru spat, "I'm not joining' shit! Where the hell is Ino?"

_**Wham!**_ A fist, possibly Orochimaru's, though that didn't seem his style, slammed into Shikamaru's cheek.

"Where's Ino?"

_**Bam!**_ His teeth were coming loose now and he could taste blood well up in his mouth. If he was lucky…he would drown. How troublesome.

"Where's Ino?"

_**POW!**_

"Tell me where she is! Where's Ino?!?!

"You're forgetting whose interrogation room this is." Orochimaru hissed and Shikamaru heard the sound of steel sliding against steal through the haze of blood and pain, "Perhaps my blade can remind you?"

"You haven't asked me any questions yet." Shikamaru grinned, "I figured somebody ought to. Where's Ino?"

Another fist and several cuts on his arms and abdomen later, Shikamaru had lost consciousness.

* * *

Choji felt dizzy, standing anxiously at the cell bars. They really needed to feed him. They really, **really**, needed to bring back Shikamaru. If he'd had any food, Choji would have given it all just to have Shikamaru back in the cell with him. Shikamaru'd always been with him, since they were just eight years old, sitting on the roof of the academy, watching the clouds and eating potato chips. Ughh. The thought of potato chips made his mouth water and the thought of that day and Shikamaru made his eyes water. 

"_You can't play ninja with us!"_

Ninja, what a dumb game that was. What a dumb bunch of kids they were. Playing at death. He was dumb too. He just wanted to fit in. The only smart kid in the whole village was Shikamaru.

"_Even games like Shougi are only are only fun with an even number of pieces."_

"_Having useless pieces is just as bad as none at all!"_

Shikamaru always there for him, always believed in him but…it was Choji's deepest fear that the boy whose name he could not even remember was right. He was just a useless piece. What was he doing to help anybody? Standing in his cell while his best friend was tortured!

_Treat him as your best friend and become comrades who'll trust each other more than anything."_

Choji had tried to follow his father's advice and he'd succeeded mostly. Shikamaru trusted him enough to bring him along to rescue Sasuke and kill Hidan. Sasuke, Choji felt exhausting rage when he thought of the name he'd nearly died for and then was betrayed by! They were smart to starve him, to tie Shika's arms and to separate them from Ino, those sound bastards, because, if Choji could, he'd kill that Uchiha bastard now!

"_I got tired of it so I ditched them."_

Shikamaru didn't like the ninja game. He didn't like the ninja carrier either. Shikamaru was meant for it though. He was the best ninja in Konoha and laziest. If they were at home…_God, I miss home!_ He'd probably be watching the clouds right now and smoking Asuma's cigarettes.

"_Let's just watch the clouds and chill, eh?"_

"There's your friend back, fatty." Botan opened the cell door and tossed Shikamaru's unconscious form unceremoniously on to the floor. Choji was instantly at Shika's side, lifting his head from the dirty stone. There was blood on his lip, coming out of his mouth, and Choji felt the unnerving cold of the liquid on his palm.

"He's bleeding, you bastard!" Choji shouted, "He's unconscious!"

"Take it up with the boss." Botan shrugged, "You'd better turn him over so he don't drown. Here's some bandages."

Choji scowled but followed his advice and took the dirty strips of cloth. Shikamaru's face was bruised and his nose bleeding. There were small cuts on his arms, made by a kunai knife, but the worst were on his abdomen and that was where Choji focused the bandages.

"Don't worry, I got you." Choji whispered as he placed Shika on to the top bunk, on his side so the excess blood could drain out.

"S-sorry, Ch-Choji."

"Don't worry about it. Just rest."

"B-bastard's got-gotta th-thick hide." Shikamaru sighed, "I-I couldn't…find out wh-where they put her. Ino…"

Choji sighed. Someday, they'd find her again. Someday, the three of them, they'd all get out of here. Someday, he and Shikamaru would watch the clouds again and everything would be alright.

* * *

_Italics_ are anything going on in a charecter's mind, including thoughts and memories. **Bolds** are emphasis. **_Bold Italics_** are sound effects. 

well, did you like it? Please review so I know I'm not just babbling to myself. Any constructive critism is welcome as well as "Good Job"s! Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for all the review. Keep them coming if you want some more

* * *

"Hey, what's your name?"

Ginna said nothing.

"Come on!" Ino sighed, "I'm going out of my _**mind**_ with boredom! Nobody else comes in here except that bastard Sasuke and I already know about him. So what's your name? Where are you from?

Still there was nothing.

"Since you don't seem to be in a talkative mood today…" Ino said, "I suppose there's no harm in asking, do you know where my friends are? The guys I was captured with? There's too of them. Choji's a big fat ass with light brown hair and little swirls on his cheeks. Shikamaru has black hair, pulled up into a little pony tail on top of his head. He's real lazy so you might have heard the guards complaining about him. Do you know who I mean?"

Nothing.

"Right, I forgot." Ino rolled her eyes, "You're not talkin' to me. Umm…if you know who I mean…keeping feeding me."

A spoonful of disgusting prison gruel found its way to her mouth. Ino swallowed quickly without tasting, she didn't want to know what she was eating, and sighed in relief.

"Are they alive? Keep feeding me if they're alive!"

Another spoonful and Ino could have cried with happiness, if she had not promised herself she would not.

_Team Ten lives, Asuma-sensei!_ She hoped he could hear her, she hoped he would help them, _They're alive! Thank you, God, they're alive!_

"Will you tell me where they are? Please? If you will, keep feeding me."

The clink of the spoon against the bowl was her only answer.

"No more, hunh?" Ino sighed, "Well, thank you anyway. Really you have no idea…"

The door slammed shut and Ino smiled.

"See you tomorrow!"

_Sasuke should be coming soon then. _Ino thought, _He always waits an hour or so after I eat. Bastard, I've got something on you now, don't I? I know they're alive. You can't hold that over __**my**__ head anymore!_

* * *

"_Mmm… Shikamaru…" Her voice was low and happy, " Shikamaru, yeah! Yeah, don't stop, Shika! Shikamaru! SHIKAMARU!"_

"Shikamaru, wake up!"

He groaned and let out a small sigh. His hands being tied affected more than his ninjetsu. Thinking about Ino while he masturbated was hard enough (no pun intended) awkward enough back in Konoha. In Kobe it was down right impossible and troublesome too. Never had Shikamaru felt more need to take matters into his own hands.

"What is it, Choji?" He sighed, " I was having a nice dream…for once."

"Chow time." Choji's voice was mixed with disgust and glee. The stuff Orochimaru provided for them could hardly be called edible but food was food and a starving Akimichi was not a picky one.

"Thank god!" Shikamaru rolled over and hopped down from the bed to a sting of pain in his abs, "Ah!"

"You okay?" Choji tore himself from his bowl of gruel with an expression of concern.

"Yeah…" Shikamaru sat down beside him, "It's just a little sore that's all. What are we eating today?"

"I'm pretending it's ham…possibly the entire pig."

"The entire thing?"

"A month of prison food, Shikamaru."

"Point taken." Shikamaru looked down at the bowl of slop in front of him. It certainly didn't look like the ham of Choji's imagination. It was mostly water, dusty white in unwashed bowls, with small clumps of what he prayed were potatoes. As Shika stared at the unholy concoction he blinked. One of the "potatoes" moved.

"Mmm." He smiled weakly, "Maggots for breakfast."

"Aw, Shut up!" Choji groaned, "Now I can't even carry on a fantasy!" He pushed his bowl away, "It's totally gone, exited from my mind! This crap'll probably make my Chakra worse!"

"Sorry to gross you out." He sighed, "Try and swallow it though. I need you as strong as possible. Just picture that ham and try not to taste it."

Shikamaru situated himself on the floor and began to slurp. Choji had tried to feed him in the beginning but he proven a lousy nurse, not remembering that patients had to breath every once in a while. It was a concept. Shikamaru didn't even mind drinking the soup up like a dog, it was one of the few things they did here. Wow, lazy man Shikamaru Nara missed doing things. Something new everyday.

He had started dreaming about Ino, off and on, about two weeks before they were captured. It was decidedly awkward having sex dreams about Ino, so much so that, on the first night, he'd woken up in a cold sweat. Having to train with her everyday, especially with Choji there as well, did not help matters.

It took Shikamaru quite sometime discern whether or not he was simply in lust with Ino. Certainly, she had a fantastic body. Long blonde hair that fairly drove him wild when she let it down…he was horny enough with it up. Clear blue eyes and a smirk constantly playing along her rose red lips. She was no petite little fairy like Sakura Haruno, Ino was a real woman with curving hips, an athletic figure from years of training and legs to die for. There was no denying she was hot, her breasts were like ripe peaches just waiting to be plucked, but she was also one of the most troublesome women he'd ever met. She was violent, petty, bitchy when she wanted to be, obviously still hung up on Sasuke, a drama queen, hyper, snotty, arrogant, narcissistic, critical and incredibly irritating at times. But after a week of watching her, weighing these faults against her many virtues (she was kind, caring, incredibly sexy, strong, funny, sensitive, wild, free, and unafraid) and dreams that left him more exhausted than when he went to bed, Shikamaru knew. He had finally accomplished what his father had wanted since the day he was born, he'd fallen in love with Ino Yamanaka.

'_Course…_ He thought, _That was before all this crap decided to happen._

It was a fairly routine mission when they were captured. Venture into the Sound and see what they could find out. Simple reconnaissance, back-in-one-day kind of shit. Shikamaru had made the promise to himself that, after the mission was over, he'd ask Ino for a date. Exactly what she would say to that Shikamaru wasn't sure. The worst she could do was say no…no, the worst she could do was laugh. Knowing Ino she probably would have, then looked guiltily at his face when she realized it wasn't some sort of joke.

"_Sorry, Shikamaru." _She would say, fighting to maintain a straight face while giggling madly on the inside, _"You're just a teammate, okay? Just a friend."_

"_Yeah, Okay, Ino." _He'd answer and politely make some excuse or other to leave. She'd let him get away and he would go smoke cigarettes on the roof of the academy. After that, things would be awkward for a day or two before going right back to normal. That was what he loved and hated about Ino Yamanaka, they would always be friends, no matter what.

Still, the troublesome idea would not get out of his mind. He had to try. The possibility, however slight, that Ino would agree to go out with him was to tantalizing to ignore. The three of them always went out for dinner after missions, a great incentive for Choji, he would do it then. He'd catch her alone at some point during the evening- Choji's presence would only make it more embarrassing- and ask her.

"_Hey, Ino, if you're not doing anything on Saturday… I was wonderin'-"_

He hadn't been expecting an ambush. He, Shikamaru Nara, genius of Konoha, with an I.Q of two fucking hundred, was caught completely off guard. They came out of nowhere, ten- twenty- no, thirty sound ninja! All armed to the teeth. No exceptionally strong bastards like the ones he and Choji had fought before but… there were so many of them and more and more kept coming. For every one Shikamaru killed, three more seemed to pop up its place. Choji fought admirably, crushing five with his multi-sized ninjetsu but more kept coming and stabbing at him with their kunai knives, like a swarm of locusts devoring an elephant. Choji had been the first to drop.

"_Take care of my body, Shikamaru."_

Watching Ino fight was…amazing. She was truly meant to be a ninja, not just because of her kekki gennai but her discipline. The way her body moved, as though she was no longer even thinking about what she needed to do. She was a bloody thirstly little creature, Ino was. She was never more beautiful than in heat of battle, beautiful, untamed, independent, the only time she ever needed anyone was when he trapt an enemy with in his shadow.

Making sure no one attacked Ino's body when her mind was else where usually feel to Shikamaru. His type of Jetsu didn't involve much moving. He was a strategist anyway. The only time Ino was helpless was when she used the mind body switch. The enemy had quickly realized this and attacked the body she'd taken. They were ruthless, these sound ninja. Within an hour, Ino had to release and she passed out in a broken and bruised body and he was alone.

_I'm sorry, Ino. _Shikamaru thought, _You too, Choji. I didn't take care of you. Its my fault we're in here._

"Shikamaru…" Choji's voice was soft and scared, "Look at this."

Shikamaru sat up. Choji's face was white and he held out his hand. A red liquid rested on Choji's palm and Shikamaru felt sick. "What is it?" He asked, with the horrible feeling that he knew.

"It's blood."

"If it came out of me, I'm sorry." He sat back, "If it came out of the food, I'd rather not think about it."

"Don't joke, Shika." Choji sounded sick, "It came outta my mouth. You the one who knows everything, Shika What's it mean?"

"It's scurvy." Shikamaru wondered why he hadn't noticed it before. They'd been starving him, of course there would be side effects! Now that he looked closely at his friend, Shikamaru realized he had been missing all the signs. Choji was pale as hell, not just from free and stress but from hunger, there were small spot all over his arms and tounge.

"What the hell does that mean?" Choji's voice echoed with panic, "Stop looking at me like that and tell me what it means!"

"It's from lack of vitamen C." Shikamaru sighed, "You know, from citrus fruit like oranges. How much citrus do you get at home, Choji? How much fruit do you eat?"

"Not a lot. Only when my mom makes me."

"That explains why I don't have it yet."

"Stop looking at me like that!" He'd begun to hyperventilate, "What's gonna happen? I'm gonna be okay, right? Right? Shikamaru!"

"Calm down." Shikamaru snapped, "You'll be fine. You listen to me, Choji, you're gonna be just fine. Nobody dies from scurvy-"

Choji sighed.

"unless it remains untreated." Now it was Shika's turn to sigh, "Untreated…it's fatal."

"How do you treat it?"

"Up your vitamin C, eat more fruits, and you'll go back to normal." He groaned, "God but this is troublesome, how the hell are we saupposed to get fresh fruit in prison?!"

"It might be troublesome to you, Shikamaru, but it's my life!" Choji shouted, "I'm gonna die, man! I can't fucking believe it!"

"CALM DOWN!" He shouted right back, "You're not gonna die! You're gonna be just fine, okay?"

"Okay-"

"You're gonna be fine!" Shikamaru whispered, "You're gonna get help. I'll get you out of here, Choji."

"How?"

"I'll figure some way out. Don't worry." Shikamaru stood, "Try and get some sleep."

"Alright. Alright." Choji repeated the word over and over again, trying to comfort himself.

It was with an effort that Shikamaru pulled himself on to the top bunk but he didn't want to wake Choji

_It's no good, Ino._ Shikamaru thought sadly, _He's dying. He's gonna die here if I can't get him out. Oh god, how the hell am I gonna get him out? Shit! Shit! Shit! Mennodusuke... I have to get him out of here._

* * *

"Nara's still not co-operating, Orochimaru?"

"No. All he does is ask where his teammate is."

"They're very close in Team 10." Sasuke said, "All Ino will say is "Where's Shikamaru? Where's Choji?"

"How sweet." Orochimaru licked his lips, "The Akimichi is useless. Akimichis always are but I have coveted the Nara clan kekki gennai for some time and the mind body switch is simply deliscious."

Sasuke tried to hide his contempt. One of the first things he'd learned after coming to Otogakure was that Orochimaru was a major pervert. Not a simple, staring at naked women in a bathhouse. Orochimaru was the empitome of all things seen as wrong. He loved nothing but himself and wanted to control everyone with in the planet. Sasuke sometimes thought that all the experiments with immortality and his body had made him obbcessed with other peoples. As such, the shadow control and the mind body switch were exceptionally exciting to him. Such control made him horny.

"Don't worry about Ino." He said, "I remember her from my academy days. She's an excellent ninja but in the end, she's just a stupid little bitch. Ridiculously easy to manipulate."

"Sasuke, I adore what you are becoming." Orochimaru leaned forward and licked his lips, "Ruthless, manipulative. It's enchanting."

"The question is…" Sasuke choose to ignore the last comment, "how long do you want to continue this? I realize that Shikamaru is an exceptional strategist but-"

"Oh, I can't let him go!" Orochimaru exclaimed, "You might be interested in his mind, Sasuke, but he's such fun to poke. I have to break him, he's resisted me far too long for it to be any other way."

"Very well." Sasuke stood up, "I'll take care of it."

"No!" Orochimaru leapt to his feet, "I forbid you to touch him! Shikamaru's my project! I want him to join us! After that, if he doesn't prove useful, you may kill him."

_You child._ Sasuke thought, "I only wish to kill one man, Orochimaru. I won't touch your prisoner but Shikamaru won't join you because you've broken every bone in his body. He's too lazy to do anything for his own sake. The only way you'll get him is through the other two which is-"

"Which is where you come in." Orochimaru nodded, "I understand. Carry on, Sasuke."

_I intend to._

_

* * *

_So what did you think? Please review. Big things are coming in Chapter 3 


	3. Chapter 3

This is R rated at least! Hear that, people? **R! R! R! NC-17 even! IT IS NOT AT ALL HAPPY! IT IS DISTURBING!!! I HAD TROBLE WRITING IT! IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH RAPE, TORTURE BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICA AND/OR HORRIBLE DISCRIPTIONS OF DYING, TURN BACK NOW! **

**IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF FIFTEEN TURN BACK NOW! IF YOU ARE HARBORING ANY SORT OF LOVE FOR SASUKE IN THIS STORY, TURN BACK NOW! IT GETS BAD!!!!!!!!!**

Repeat: **IT GETS BAD!!!!!!!!! VERY BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!** I do not want hate mail. It is bad. You have been warned.

* * *

"Comfortable, Ino?" Gods but she really, really hated his voice, "Do you need anything else?"

"I need for you to die!" She smiled sweetly in the general direction of his voice. Sasuke had been careful to stay out of her line of vision. Ino hadn't yet mastered the mind body switch technique without hand signs but, if she ever got to use it on someone she hated as much as Sasuke, Ino felt certain she could pull it off.

"Always polite, Ino."

_Stop saying my name!_ She bit the words back into her mouth. She hated the way he said her name, she hated the way he said anything. Once Ino might have gushed and gooed about Sasuke Uchiha saying her name over and over but he had no right to those letters now.

"You're a bastard." She sniffed disdainfully, "Why do you keep coming back here? I'm not going to give you anything."

"Have I asked for anything, Ino?"

"You think by repeating my name at the end of each sentence, you'll some how have power over me?" She laughed at him, "You don't have anything over me! I'm Ino Yamanka of Konoha, Village Hidden in Leaves! You have no power."

"On the contrary." He said calmly, "I have great power over you. Much as I hate to disagree with you when you get into one of your self righteous moods, I control if you live or die. I could cut off your food at anytime."

"Go ahead!" She laughed at that terrifying idea, "I don't care if you do starve me! You'll never ever break me! Now get the hell out!"

"No, I don't believe I will starve you." Sasuke smiled and touched her cheek, "It'd be a waste of a pretty girl."

"Don't touch me, you bastard."

"Some people just can't take a compliment." He removed his hand, "Two years ago you would have swooned if I called you pretty."

"That was a long time ago." Ino felt herself go red at the barb.

"True." She could feel him nodding in agreement, "You've grown since then, gotten stronger…but I wonder if you've really changed. Are you really stronger or are you still the spoiled little princess from the Yamanaka clan, playing with pretty flowers? Perhaps you are still that weak little girl, so easy to control."

* * *

Shikamaru woke to the sound of coughing and choking. 

"Choji? Choji!" The Akimichi was on the floor, doubled over, coughing like mad. In horror, Shikamaru realized that the blood on the floor was from Choji's mouth. His pupils were dilated and his nose was bleeding. Shikamaru rolled out of bed with a shot and was at his friend's side in a minute, "Choji! Come on, hang in there! I'm gonna get you out of here. Hey. Hey!"

He leapt to his feet and kicked the bars of the cell, "HEY! We need some goddamn help in here!"

"N-no b-body's g-gonna come, Shikamaru." Choji whispered.

"They'll come." He crouched low to his friend, "They're gonna come, alright? You're gonna be fine…"

"I'm g-gonna d-die." Choji's emaciated body shook with exertion, "It's n-no g-good."

"Shut up! You're gonna be fine!" Shikamaru shouted.

_I already lost Asuma-sensei._ He thought wildly, _I can't lose you too!_

"Somebody get in here!" He called, "For fuck's sake, somebody help us! He's gonna die! Please!"

"Nara, what the hell are you screamin' about?" Botan walked slowly into sight, "God, it's five freaking' AM!"

"Botan! You need to get some oranges or limes! Any kind of citrus fruit!"

"Why?" The fat guard asked, leaning curiously in between the bars of the cell.

"Because he's dying, you idiot!" Shikamaru shouted, "You bastards gave him fucking scurvy because you couldn't bother to feed him!"

"So what?"

"So he's gonna die if he doesn't get so vitamin C!" He prayed to god he wasn't crying he was so frustrated. His best friend was dying of an entirely preventable disease and his fate rested in hands of this fat bastard.

"Who cares?" Botan shrugged, "The boss isn't interested in him. He's unimportant; we couldn't even be bothered to kill him."

* * *

"We're starving the other two." Sasuke said, conversationally, "Akimichi Choji isn't taking it so well. This morning, he was dying of scurvy." 

"What?" Ino felt cold, horrified that this man could talk so casually about her teammate dying.

"Scurvy. Its when your body-"

"I know what it is!"

"Of course you do. You're a medic ninja now, aren't you, Ino? Anyway, last I checked, he was dying. You've seen people die before, Ino, but not like this. When I saw him, he was bleeding from almost every pore and his body shook convulsively. Shikamaru was quite furious with us. I was afraid he would open his wounds with all the excitement."

"Shut up!"

"Oh, Ino." Sasuke sighed, "I thought you wanted news of your teammates. For the past three weeks all I've been able to get out of you was "Where's Choji? Where's Shikamaru?"

He laughed then and Ino felt the perpetual lump in her throat grow steadily larger with each syllable that passed through her voice.

"You let them out!" She croaked, "You let them out right now!"

"Ino…" Sasuke bent over her and for the first time she was able to see his face, "You sound terrible. Would you like something to drink?"

"Let them out!" She shouted.

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't." He smiled ruefully, "No, Orochimaru wouldn't hear of it. Choji maybe but he's having much too much fun with Shikamaru to let him go."

"Then let Choji out!" Ino had to blink back tears, "Please, he's dying anyway! Let him out, Sasuke."

"Why, Ino, Are you holding back tears?" He laughed, "You should really let them go, it might help your case."

_I will never cry for your amusement, Sasuke Uchiha!_ "Please let him go, Sasuke. Please, I'll do anything!"

"Do not make that offer to me, Ino." Sasuke said, "For I **will** take you up on it."

* * *

"You fucking bastard! You fucking BASTARD!" Shikamaru had never been so filled with hate. He thought his body would explode with the anger. Choji was dying on the floor and all this bastard could say was "Who cares?" 

"Heh." Botan laughed looking at Choji, "I knew that fat ass would be the first to go."

"Botan, Botan, where are your manners? Some one is dying on your doorstep and you don't try to help him?"

"Sasuke!" The guard turned in surprise for the Uchiha was behind him.

"Sasuke!" Shikamaru said the hated name, knowing it was Choji's last hope, "Sasuke, please…he's dying."

"I see that." The Uchiha had not changed much in appearance since he left Konoha. His hair was slightly longer and he wore the robes of Otogakure but he was still classically handsome and strong with a long sword at his side. Yet, he seemed colder than ever and almost apathetic to everything and everyone around him, "Unfortunately, Shikamaru, that is out of my control. Orochimaru has expressly ordered that no one should interfere with him. You may be able to talk him in to it. Come along."

"Sh-shikamaru…" Choji groaned, "P-please, don't go."

"It's your only chance to save him." Sasuke said. The cell door was opened now and Shikamaru glanced back at his friend. _My only chance…I can't do it, Asuma._

"Shika, please." Choji gasped, "I-I don't- don't wanna d-d-die a-alone…"

"You're not gonna die." Shikamaru bent low and whispered into his ear, "I promise."

"Shikamaru…I'm- I'm scared-!" Choji coughed again, "I-I'm not st-strong-"

"You're plenty strong!"

"St-strong like you…"

"Shikamaru!" Sasuke's voice was sharp, "Are you coming or have you decided to let him die."

"I'm coming." He stood up and glared at Botan, "If he dies, I'm gonna kill you first bastard!"

"Come." Sasuke said and they started for the interrogation room.

* * *

**LAST CHANCE!! TURN BACK NOW!!!**

* * *

Sasuke had turned away from her and Ino wondered why she had not tried the mind body switch. She supposed she had been too upset by his blunt description of Choji's seemingly eminent death to think of it. _Bleeding from almost every pore and his body shook compulsively. _What could be worse than that? Ino wondered when and if she would find out. 

"There are about ten women in this prison, Ino, including yourself." It was amazing how the sound of his robes falling to the floor so over powered his voice, "Four of them are in Orochimaru's employ; they're supposed to be off limits but the rules are rarely enforced. Other than you, there are five female prisoners. If you think that you are in solitary because you are powerful, you're only half right. All female prisoners are kept in solitary for their own protection. If a female was set loose with the other prisoners, she would have been gang raped with in an hour. So you see, I'm actually doing you a favor, Ino."

For some reason, Ino felt herself drift from his voice… back to her eighth year, before Sasuke, when she and Sakura were learning to be Kunoichis;

"_Don't fool yourself." The teacher's voice was pinched with her obvious embarrassment about the subject, "Being a female ninja is never easy. You have to be just as good, if not better than the boys to be noticed and don't think for a moment enemies will make an exception for you if you're a woman."_

_She sighed, "Your parents may disapprove of the fact that you are learning about this aspect of ninja life at such a young age but the Hokage feels that is better for you to learn now than in the future. Ninety percent of all captured Kunoichis will be raped by the enemy."_

Sakura had cried all the way home that day and told Ino that she didn't want to be a ninja anymore. Ino had scoffed at that and asked her if she'd been listening,_ "Ninety percent of all __**captured **__Kunoichis, Sakura! Just don't get captured and you'll be fine!"_

"_Ye-yeah." Sakura said, not wishing to appear weak in front of her friend._

_I'm about to become a statistic, Sakura,_ Ino thought dully, _all because of this boy we used to love…you always loved him more than me, Sakura. Would you trade places with me?_

Ino was jolted back to reality by the touch of cold steal against her skin. Sasuke had drawn his knife, not a kunai but an actual knife like the kind her mother used for cooking. He was cutting off her shirt and Ino felt slightly annoyed. She'd paid a lot for that shirt.

"Why are you bothering with my breasts, Sasuke?" She asked, dully, "What you want is further down…or is it that you've changed your mind?"

"No." Sasuke said, "I'll get to that soon enough. I just like to look at them, that's all."

"Well, I suppose it's up to you."

"It's certainly not up to you." He had finished with her shirt and bra, not completely removing them but leaving them in tatters around her shoulders, "You seem incredibly calm about this, Ino. Has it registered in your mind that I am about to violate you?"

"It has." She nodded, "You'll see how calm I am when I kill you, Sasuke."

"Big talk for a little girl."

Ino said nothing, but closed her eyes and tried to find a place to rest her mind, until this was over.

* * *

This was the first time he'd been there with the lights on. Orochimaru stood in a corner with a creepy snake like smile playing around his lips. But Shikamaru knew the situation was too dire for him to lose his nerve. Orochimaru was a creepy, perverted bastard but right now he was the deciding factor in whether Choji lived or died. 

"This is a change, isn't it?" Orochimaru said, "You must have gotten tired of that chair."

Shikamaru said nothing.

"I hear the Akimichi is dying."

"That's true." He said, "Choji has scurvy. He needs to up his vitamin C intake. You know, oranges and stuff."

"Ahh." Orochimaru nodded, "I'm sorry to say I never really cared about whether he lived or died. You, Shikamaru, you are much more interesting. Sasuke tells me you're an excellent strategist and I've seen for myself your clan's shadow technique."

"What is it you want?"

"I want you to join me."

"Fine." Shikamaru spoke with out hesitation. Hadn't he known it would come to this? "One condition though."

"Name it."

"Let Choji and Ino go. Give them enough food to get back to Konoha and promise that they'll never be in one of your prisons again."

"You drive a hard bargain." Orochimaru said, "One for the price of two?"

"It's the only way you'll get me."

"Then consider it done." Orochimaru said, "Now come here."

"Sorry." Shikamaru moved quickly to the door, "Not until I know Choji's alright."

"Fine." For the first time, Orochimaru looked perturbed, "The Akimichi will be given citrus until he recovers."

"And Ino?"

"They'll be released tomorrow."

"Thank you." Shikamaru forced the words through his mouth, "Lord Orochimaru."

* * *

"_Take care of my body…"_

"_Ninety percent…"_

"_So you see, I'm actually doing you a favor…"_

_I won't cry. _Ino repeated the mantra over and over in her head, _I won't cry for you, Sasuke Uchiha. I won't cry. I won't cry._

It was all she could do to keep that promise. Sasuke was not gentle in anyway. Grunts of exertion came from his part but Ino kept her mouth clamped. She didn't know why he was gripping her arms as he forced himself into her, she was securely fastened down, but it hurt like hell. She wanted to scream but she knew no help would come. She wanted to throw up but that would only make him stronger, only make her more humiliated.

_I have to get out of here…_ Her eyes were closed tightly to keep the tears in, _Damn it. Damn it! It hurts!_

"_I hate using it, Daddy." _Ino couldn't think why she suddenly remembered training with the mind body switch when she was five, _"I don't mind going into other people's bodies but I hate leaving my own! It's too dangerous."_

"_Ino…" Her father smiled, "That's why ninjas are in teams. So somebody can protect your body when you're not in it."_

"Gasp!" She hadn't even realized she was holding her breath. Her lungs felt like they were about to explode. Her entire body shook with the force he put into it.

_Get me out of here! _Never before had she wanted to leave her body more than she did now, _Help me please! Shikamaru!_

"Help me…" She whimpered hoarsely, "Help me."

"Too late." Sasuke grunted.

_He's right…_ She thought, _No ones here to help. No team. No Sensei. No Choji. No Shikamaru. Daddy…. You never told me what do if they weren't here._

* * *

He watched in agony as the citrus was squeezed unceremoniously into Choji's own mouth. Most of the bleeding had subsided but he was in no condition to chew. A woman was the one administering the first aid. Botan had guard duties, namely beating up prisoners, to attend to and in spite of his newly formed alliance with Orochimaru, Shikamaru's wrists were still bound. 

"See, Choji…" He smiled, "I told you wouldn't die. You're gonna be just fine. You're getting out of here tomorrow."

Choji looked up, "W-we're g-getting out of here?"

Shikamaru nodded, "Tomorrow."

"We're getting out of here." Choji smiled for the first time in over a month, "We're going home…"

_No, buddy._ Shikamaru thought, _**you're **__getting out of here. You and Ino._

But all he did was smile again and nod. There would be time enough tomorrow for Choji to know what Shikamaru had done. To know that for the first time, he and his best friend would separate. Choji and Ino were getting out and Shikamaru was going in further than he ever wanted to be.

* * *

"Some one will come with new clothing for you." Sasuke said as he got dressed again in the corner, "She'll bring you some water as well. You must be tired." 

Ino said nothing. She felt nothing. She was numb, far away from him and his hate filled words.

"Do you want to kill me, Ino?" Sasuke looked down at her again, "I know the feeling. You're welcome to try anytime you think you can."

Still she was silent, not even looking at him, only staring up at the ceiling.

"Are you going to cry, Ino?" Sasuke asked, "Now that I've broken you? That was your first time, wasn't it? Are you going to cry now that its all over?"

"No." She whispered, "I'm not going to cry, Sasuke. You have not broken me and I will never shed a tear for what you've done."

"We'll see about that." Sasuke allowed the door to slam behind him, leaving Ino praying for sleep and knowing that it would not come.

* * *

I did warn you. For those who skipped over certain parts Ino was just raped by Sasuke and Shikamaru promised to join Orochimaru if Choji (who's no longer dying, I'm happy to say) and Ino are realsed. This was incredibly hard to write so no hate mail please. I must now go throw up. 


	4. Chapter 4

First of all, to all the people who have read and reviewed "Prison Camp", you have no idea awesome you are. I can be having the worst day of my life and I know I can come home, check my email and find something that makes me smile. You guys are the reason I keep updateing. Thanks alot.

Good things in this chapter!

* * *

"No way, Shikamaru!"

"Choji, do you remember scurvy? Do you wanna die again?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "It's the only way."

"We're team 10, Shika." Choji glared at him, "Key word; **Team**. I'm not leaving you here. We're in this together. Ino would feel the same way."

"Ino doesn't feel anything about this, and you don't tell her!" He snapped, "When you two get out, you take her home and don't you dare tell her what I did!"

"Why?"

Shikamaru sighed, "Oh come on, Choji! You know Ino! If she finds out she'll go on the war path!"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Look, the whole reason I'm doing this is so that you guys can get out. Go back to Konoha, live peaceful lives-"

"No such thing." Choji scoffed.

"You think this is easy for me?" Shikamaru continued, "You think I like this? Betraying Konoha, betraying Asuma-sensei?"

"No, I don't!" Choji snapped, tears squirting from his eyes, "You think it's easy for me?! You're my best friend, Shikamaru! Every team- every mission I've ever been on, you've been there! You think I like leaving you here to rot?!"

"I'm not gonna rot." Shikamaru smiled ruefully, "I'm a sound now, remember? I'll get taken care of."

"Shikamaru…"

"Choji, there's no way out for me. You and Ino have a chance. Take it, man!"

"What do I tell her?"

"I don't know!" Shikamaru sighed, "Anything but the truth! Tell her they killed me."

"That'll make things awkward when you come back."

"**If **I come back-"

"**When**, Shikamaru."

"I don't know what you tell her." Shika sighed again, "Tell her something so she won't come back, alright? Tell her-" He bit down hard on his lower lip, "Tell her I betray Konoha… tell her I did it of my own will."

"I'm not tellin' her that!" Choji shouted in horror, "She'll hate you!"

"So what?!" Shikamaru shouted back, "I don't give a damn if she does hate me! Better to hate me than ever come back here ever again!"

Choji stared. After along time he said, "You love her, don't you?"

"Yeah! Yeah, a little bit!" He swallowed, hard, "I can't have her here, Choji. I can't. Orochimaru wants me- wants the shadow technique. If she's here he can make me do just about anything. I need her to be safe. I love her, man. If you can do just one thing for me, Choji, keep her safe."

"Okay." Choji said and squared his shoulders, "I don't suppose you want me to tell her."

"No reason to now." Shikamaru sighed, "It'll just make things harder. Tell her; tell her after you know she won't come back. I want her to know."

"Hey, that reminds me." Shikamaru smiled slightly as he removed the Konoha head band from his shoulder. He wondered vaugely why the sound hadn't taken it from him but it didn't matter now, "Take this back to my parents for me."

"Shikamaru..."

"Look, I don't want it destroyed, okay?" He held it out. The metal that meant so much to him was dented and blood stained. Shika remembered the day he'd gotten in. Graduation was so troublesome. "Keep it safe, alright? Bye, Choji."

"I'll see you later, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru smiled and nodded. Choji's recovery had been fast and Orochimaru had kept his word about the food._ Now, if he just keeps his word about Ino…_Shikamaru thought as he watch Choji head for the door, _I can rest easy._

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Choji turned at the door, "Asuma-sensei would understand."

_I hope so._ Shika thought.

_

* * *

She was trapped in darkness. Her throat was dry and she couldn't move. Ino felt cold and it was then that she realized she was naked. _

"_I'm doing you a favor."_

_She tried to scream but a hand was clasped over her mouth. She bit down hard and tasted blood on her lips. But still the hand would not move and Sasuke's cruel laughter echoed terrible in that small black place._

"_I have great power over you. I control if you live or die."_

_Shikamaru…_

"_It'd be a waste of a pretty girl."_

_Where was Shikamaru? He'd promised…_

"_Are you going to cry, Ino? Now that I've broken you?"_

_No! __**NO! **__I won't cry!_

"_Are you really stronger-?"_

_Shikamaru, you promised you'd protect me!_

"_or are you still the spoiled little princess from the Yamanaka clan, playing with pretty flowers?"_

"_Ino… Ino, stay with me! Ino!"_

_Shikamaru! There he was…protecting her like he always did…Shikamaru. But his voice was so small, so far away… while Sasuke's was so loud and terrifyingly close._

"_Perhaps you are still that weak little girl, so easy to control."_

_Shikamaru was gone…gone somewhere where he couldn't get to her…couldn't help her. Only Sasuke remained._

"_Are you going to cry, Ino?"_

It was the pain that woke her from the dream. She was still in her cell, shacked to that uncomfortable bed that still reeked of his cum. Her cheek burned and Ino looked up. A woman stood above her. She might have been pretty, with shoulder length black hair that was obviously well taken care of, pure white skin and deep green eyes, if only her sweet red lips were not scowling. Ino guessed that this was Ginna, for no one else came into this room. It her arms was a robe, a simple kimono, the clothes Sasuke had promised.

"Hi." Ino managed to croaked, "Are those for me?"

Ginna looked her body up and down and sniffed disdainfully, "Only one of us is naked, whore."

"Hey, you talked to me." Ino said, "I'll over look the whore comment but still, you talked to me. Can I have the robe please?"

"No."

"What is it you're looking for?" Ino asked, noticing that the girl hadn't stopped staring at her body for the entire time she'd been conscious.

"A reason." Ginna said.

"A reason for what?"

"For why he should choose you!" A dull pain crashed into her cheek as the girl slapped her again, "Why should he want your body, pig?!? I see no reason!"

"You know you're not the first one to call me 'pig'." Ino said, "So this is about Sasuke, is it? That boy is always causing trouble for me."

"You don't deserve him!" Ginna shouted.

"I'll agree with you there." Ino sighed, "Believe me, if I could give him to you, I would."

"You can lie there naked for all I care." Ginna spat, "Lord Sasuke is mine! He's mine, you hear me?! Don't you even think of touching him!"

"I'd prefer not to!" Ino shouted back, "But for your information, "lord Sasuke" is a rapist and traitor!"

Ginna leaned forward and whispered dangerously, "Listen to me, Whore of Konoha, if you touch what is mine, I will take what is yours! Don't touch Lord Sasuke!"

Ginna slammed the door and Ino was alone again. Still naked and still unable to move, she was comforted by the fact that, not matter what happened, she would never be **that** crazy.

_

* * *

Choji's out. Shikamaru thought, watching from a barred window in one of Orochimaru's private compartments as his friend vanished in a puff of smoke, __Now for Ino…this is the last time I'll ever see her._ Shikamaru thought, watching from a barred window in one of Orochimaru's private compartments as his friend vanished in a puff of smoke, 

_No! _Shikamaru turned away from the window in frustration, _It's these kinds of thoughts that'll make you crazy, Shikamaru! Just look away, you don't need to see her. Just know she's okay._

Orochimaru stood in the opposite corner of the room with his aide. This one, there were many, was a young girl, probably not more than twelve with black hair, green eyes and a seemingly perpetual scowl. For the second time that day, Shikamaru took a moment to analyze the situation and his surroundings. These were Orochimaru's private compartments, much more comfortable than the prisoner's cells. The floor was red shear carpet and a blood red mattress lay in the center of the floor. One exit and Orochimaru was much closer to it then he was. It occurred to him that there was a variety of scenarios in which this would not turn out well. However, if Orochimaru proved to be as stupid and conceited and Shikamaru thought he was, there was a relatively good chance he could make his escape intact.

"Cut his bonds, Sanna." Orochimaru smiled and Shikamaru stomach retched.

The girl moved silently around to Shikamaru's backside. The bond tying his wrists were cut and for the first time in weeks, he could move his arms freely. For a moment, Shikamaru forgot the very eminent danger and simply stretched. Rope burns scorched his wrists and he wondered vaguely if they would ever fade.

"That's better, isn't it?" Orochimaru said, "Don't even think of trying the shadow technique now, Shikamaru. I can make things worse for you, I promise."

_I'm sure you can, pervert!_

"Sanna, robe!" Shikamaru was filled with a great pity for the girl. He averted his eyes as quickly as he could but he saw enough to fill a few nightmares. Orochimaru's skin was death pale and covered in scars from his many various experiments on his own body. Apparently, his open disgust and embarrassment showed in his face because Orochimaru started to laugh.

"Oh, I love a blushing bride!" He grinned and sauntered over, "Don't feel awkward, Shikamaru. You'll get used to it, perhaps even enjoy after the first few times."

Shikamaru waited until Orochimaru was directly behind him, with his chin against Shikamaru's shoulder before he made his move.

_**Wham!**_ The back of Shikamaru's wrist came in violently with Orochimaru's nose. Bloody spurted between out of his nostrils and he fell back, cursing. Shikamaru lost no time in round house kicking him in his ghost white testicles.

"Bitch!" Orochimaru shouted, doubling over.

"Sorry, **Fucker!**" Shikamaru spat, "I don't do that shit!"

"Y-you promised…"

"Actually, I **didn't**!" He laughed nervously, "I said I'd join you but I didn't mean that much!"

"IT WAS IMPLIED!" Orochimaru snarled.

"Then I lied." Shika said, "You ain't gettin' anywhere near me."

"I anticipated this." The girl, Sanna, rushed to help her master to his feet, "Very well, Shikamaru, if you can lie, I can too. Sanna! The Yamanaka stays!"

"No!" Shikamaru could feel his blood run cold, "No, you can't-"

"Oh, yes, I can." Orochimaru smiled through the blood running down his cheeks, "Didn't count on that, did you, genius boy? Nara Shikamaru, who prides himself on being able to see ten moves ahead has finally lost the game!"

_Ino…_ his thoughts came in broken, terrified snap shots, _Ino- I can't… I have to get her out of here!_

"Please!" He dropped to his knees, "Please, Orochimaru…"

"No, Shika." He smiled again, back in control, "Not even if you begged me to, I would not have you. The Yamanaka stay."

"No! Please!"

"Talk to me in a year, Shikamaru." Sanna had replaced the robe on his shoulders and Orochimaru turned to the door, "Maybe then I'll let her go, if she lives."

"BASTARD! I'll kill you! I swear to god I'll fucking kill you!"

"Sedate him." Orochimaru ordered, "If you keep only half of your bargain, I'll only keep half of mine. Choji Akimichi goes free and Ino Yamanaka rots."

_Ino…Ino, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!_

* * *

Ginna, the girl who for some reason loved Sasuke, had not come back and Ino was beginning to realize that she had not eaten since the rape. 

_What was the point of that? _Ino thought, _I'm still cold, still thirsty and still naked. The dreams are as bad as the waking now. I still don't know where I am. I still don't know where Shikamaru is or if Choji's dead. I lost my virginity to Sasuke Uchiha and I got nothing in return, no information, no hope. I have even less than I started with. I can't even cry. What's the point?_

The answer came to her quietly as these answers did. Asuma sensei's voice, one his first lessons. One word, one answer, one reason to go on.

_**Pride.**_

_Shikamaru… _Ino thought as sleep over took her, _Choji…when all this is over, I __**will**__ see you again. I promise._

* * *

Yay! He wasn't ass raped! For those of you who don't know, Orochimaru can no longer use his hands due to some sweet sealing jetsu the third preformed. And yes Sanna and Ino's "Ginna" are the same psycho person. Please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

It had been three days since the worst mistake of his life. _At least Choji got out._ Shikamaru comforted himself, lying half clothed on his mattress. He was right about one thing; Orochimaru took care of his subordinates. The "Boss", as most of the sound referred to him, made sure there was a lot to lose.

_There was __**always**__ a lot to lose._ Shikamaru thought, _since the beginning, there was always a lot to lose. Friends…Family…Love… I could've it once, just to get her out-_

_No. _A small voice spoke up from deep inside of him,_ No you couldn't have! Would she have done it for you?_

_That's not the issue. _Shikamaru dismissed the thought, _the point is I could have gotten her out and I didn't._

_You don't even know if he intended to let her out anyway. Remember the mind body switch. He wants that too._

_I'll be damned if he gets it! _Shikamaru stretched, _At least I can protect her better from here than down in that cell._

Shikamaru yawned and covered his face with his hands. Never again would he would he be unappreciative of these appendages. Orochimaru made it a point of reminding him that they, along with various other items, could quickly be taken away. Bad enough he could hold Ino over his head, but Shikamaru's own body… The power that man held scared him. One word from his lips and Shikamaru was back in his cell, hands tied with scurvy setting in. Orochimaru made a point of having fresh fruit delivered to his door ever day at breakfast. Just a reminder of what _**could **_happen.

Shikamaru stood and tried to distract himself. Such thoughts could only be destructive. His new quarters were simple but comfortable, bed, bath and kitchen with ample food provided. Bathrooms were another thing Shikamaru would never again take for granted. There was nothing like two guys shitting in the far corner of the room for over a month to make one appreciate a toilet and shower. His bed consisted of a single white futon mattress on the floor and the kitchen consisted of two cupboards, counter space, a stove and a sink. The walls were tan with black trim and there were bars on the window.

_Just a reminder._ Shikamaru thought, _You're still in prison…it's just a much nicer cage. Things could be worse._

Shikamaru had learned not to expect much from life. The lower one's standards were, the faster they were met. Choji was gone and, he had excellent reason to believe, he would stay gone. Orochimaru had not interest in the Akimichi clan. Right now, Shikamaru only wished for two things. One was for Ino to escape. The other was a pack of cigarettes. His own freedom didn't matter too much. As long as she was safe…

A knock at the door woke him from his wholly depressing train of thought. _Who the hell?_ Shikamaru glanced at the clock above his sink. It was about three minutes to mid night. He hadn't been sleeping since the day he'd secured Choji's release. They weren't so much dreams as feelings that haunted him. He had the feeling that someone he cared about…it had to be Ino…he had the feeling that she was in danger and there was nothing he could do to save her.

Blinking, he forced himself to reality and went to the door. Orochimaru never knocked. There was an intercom system through which he demanded Shikamaru's presence and Sasuke never had any contact with Shikamaru anyway.

"What?" He looked down at the small figure that stood in the beam of light created by his door. It was the girl- what had Orochimaru called her? - Sanna. Her hair and skin were damp as though she had just taken a shower and a betraying scent of lavender hung about her person. Make up had been carefully applied on her lips and accenting her eyes. For once the girl was smiling. Her kimono was silk, like the kind geishas and prostitutes wore, and two sizes to large for her. The purple fabric slipped down on her right shoulder and Shikamaru could just make out the hint of breasts beneath it.

"Do you want me?"

"What?" Shikamaru look a step back, flustered by the question, and the girl pushed her way into the room.

"I said do you want me?" Sanna surveyed the room with a slight trace of disappointment coloring her cheeks, "Yes or no? It's a simple question."

For some reason, perhaps because he didn't want any one else barging in or perhaps it was that his libido was more powerful than his common sense, Shikamaru closed the door, "Do I…want you?"

"Yes, do you want me?" Sanna turned to face him and untied the top of her kimono revealing small peaking breasts, "Do you want to fuck me?"

"How old are you?" Shikamaru avoided the question.

"What difference does that make?" Sanna asked, "I've fucked before."

"If you're as old as you look you shouldn't have." He looked down awkwardly, wondering how the hell he'd gotten into this situation, "God, you must be twelve…or eleven or something."

"You still haven't answered the question. " Sanna pointed out, "Do you want to Fuck me?"

"No, I don't want to fuck you!" Shikamaru snapped, "For god's sake you're a kid!"

"No, I'm not." Sanna sauntered towards him, her eye lids lowered and her fingers spread wide, "I'm a woman."

"No, you're not." He tried to back away but came up against a wall. Sanna moved in closed, sliding her hands on to his chest and stoking his abs and pecs. Shikamaru couldn't remember a time when he'd felt more uncomfortable.

"Yes, I am." She said, now moving her arms around his neck and petting his hair, "I'm a woman and I want to fuck you. Come on, baby-" She lifted herself to his lips and kissed them softly, "You know you want to fuck me!"

"No." Shikamaru pushed her gently out of the way, "I don't." This was the single most embarrassing situation of his life. This woman- this child was, for reasons that remained a mystery desperately trying to fuck him. If not for her age, he might even have taken her up on it but...she was so damn cold about the whole thing, like he was some conquest for her.

_Holy role reversal._ He thought, with reckless abandon. He must have been less gentle than he thought, for Sanna was now sitting on the mattress with an irritated expression coloring her face. Either that or she wanted to take the suggestive pose. Her breasts were still exposed and her knees spread wide in a crouched position.

"Why?" She demanded, furiously.

"Aside from statutory rape?" Shikamaru asked, although he didn't think sound law punished for that, "Sorry, kid, you're not my type."

"It's the pig whore, isn't it?"

Shikamaru had been looking away but now he turned to face her, "What did you say?"

Sanna smiled, "Now I have your attention, eh? The pig whore. The one who was captured with you and the fat man. Yamanaka."

_Ino…_ It seemed he had stopped breathing. He didn't care, "Where is she?" He asked in a hoarse whisper.

"I'll not tell you!" Sanna spat, "I see you, you aren't really loyal. What is so special about this woman, that all men want her? You, Lord Sasuke-"

"Did you say Sasuke?!" Without entirely realizing what he was doing, Shikamaru had her by the shoulders and was shaking her. Sanna smiled and he knew he'd given himself away. But- rage had begun to cloud his head and he had to know.

"Aye. **Lord **Sasuke…" Her lips curled malevolently, "He wanted her, he's taken her already. What it is that to you?"

_Sasuke, you __**bastard**_He let go of Sanna. He was not _**mad**_ with rage. Shikamaru felt very clear, very focused. He was not dangerous or crazy with wrath or anger at Sasuke. He merely wanted to find him and calmly slit the traitor-rapist's fucking throat.

"You're upset." Sanna's grin grew wider, "Do want to kill her? Him too, for taking your woman? You couldn't do it. Lord Sasuke is much more powerful than you will ever be. There's a better way, if you want vengeance…fuck me."

_Ino…_ Shikamaru wasn't listening to Sanna's insanity, his thoughts came at light speed, barely taking time to register, _I'll kill him- I'll fucking kill him-_

"You see, I belong to Sasuke." Sanna continued, "I was the first on he took at Kobe so he is mine. Sometimes he- Sometimes he just forgets that- We can get back at him, **make **him remember who he really loves…"

_Who he really- Who does she- _He shook the thoughts wildly out of his head. It **had **to be rape. Ino wouldn't- well, maybe before but-

_She used to love him…__**used to**__…she wouldn't._

"So… now that you know…do you want me?" The question brought him momentarily back to reality, "do you want to get vengeance on Sasuke and the pig whore?"

"Get out." He said softly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to the door, "I don't **want **you. I don't **like **you. I think you're bat shit crazy but you're still a girl and a young one too. You stay here any longer and I'm not gonna be responsible for my actions, got it?"

Sanna was too bewildered to protest and it was only when he tossed her forcefully from the room and slammed the door did she realize how thoroughly she was rejected.

"The pig whore asked for it!" She shouted, banging on the door, "She asked for it! Don't you want to kill her? KILL HER!"

"Mendokusee…" Shikamaru sighed, letting himself slide to the floor in exhaustion, _If it's not a psycho snake pervert trying to fuck me; it's a demented tween with an obsession. I can't take much more of this shit. _

_Ino…this is just me being jealous, right? You wouldn't…not with him. Not by choice._

_People do desperate things in prison. _He thought suddenly, _They do things that would be fundamentally wrong on the outside. They kill, they steal, they betray their villages…everything they used to stand for._

_But not Ino._ He sighed, _She die before she did that. She's too strong, too proud to ever stoop to that. She wouldn't ever…not unless he forced her. Then she'd kill him. Ino's that kind of girl…_

He knew he had to think like that. Had to believe in her. If he didn't…jealously and doubt would drive him insane. In the end it was all a question of woulds…

Ino wouldn't. Sasuke would and, if Shikamaru ever got the chance, he would kill him for it.

* * *

Ino wondered when her life had gotten so ridiculous. Waking up everyday wondering whether she would get raped or beaten that day was ridiculous. If it had been happening to someone else, Ino might have found it funny. This place could really warp your sense of humor. 

Actually Sasuke hadn't come back since the last time. Her new tormenter was Ginna, whose real name Ino still didn't know. Ginna "loved" (Ginna's word, not Ino's) Sasuke and took it **extremely** personally when Ino "touched what was hers."

This particular morning- or was it an evening? - Ino's lip was bleeding slightly and her right eye was bruised. The shirt someone had deigned to provide her was ripped and Ginna was once again staring at her breasts, a knife in hand.

"What **is** so special about you, Whore?" She asked seethingly, "I've looked and looked but I can see nothing that would make him choose you."

"Did you notice a vagina?" Ino had given up all semblance of being a lady and resorted to crude humor whenever the occasion arose, "I'm telling you, he'll fuck anything on two legs."

"Shut up!" Ino winced in pain and Ginna's fist collided with her cheek, "Does he still want you with all those bruises?"

"I haven't seen him since I got them." _You're obsessed, _Ino thought, _Just like I used to be. I wonder, how different would we be, Ginna, if you grew up in Konoha?_

The girl leaned in close and whispered, softly, dangerously, "You stay away from him!"

"Only too happy to."

Ginna drew back with a satisfied smile on her face and for a moment Ino thought she might leave her alone. But then Ginna spoke…

"I saw the other one last night." She said, "The one who loves you."

"What?" _The one who __**loves **__me?_

"Your teammate. The one who is not fat."

"Shikamaru?!"

"That's what Lord Orochimaru called him…" Ginna's grin grew wider, "When he joined the sound."

"You're a LIAR!" Ino shouted, "Shikamaru would never betray Konoha!"

"Pfft!" Ginna laughed, "Tell that to Orochimaru! He joined alright, with out a second thought!"

"Lying **bitch**…" Ino swore. The idea…that Shikamaru, of all people, would betray the village, betray her and Choji, betray Asuma-sensei's memory … it was too much to bear. Any pity she might have felt for Ginna disappeared in an instant of rage and indignation.

"Hunh!" Ginna smiled, "It makes not difference what you believe. It cannot change the truth. I saw him last night…your Shikamaru. I told you, if you touched what was mine, I would take what was yours. Well, I have."

She leaned in, confidentially, again, "I kissed him. Was it his first kiss, Ino-pig-whore?"

"You'd better hope I never get out…" Ino whispered, "You'd better pray to god I never get out…"

"Listen, Ino-pig…" The knife was dangerously close to Ino's cheek, "You'd better stay away from Sasuke. "

"Ah!" Ino gasped involuntarily at the touch of steal passing through her skin and the red blood that trickled from between her breasts.

"For every time you touch him…" Ginna said, grinning terribly, "I'll make another cut and another and another until one of them falls off. Alright?"

Ino said nothing and the knife and Ginna receded. She smiled at Ino's pale bruised continence in triumph and, wiping the knife on her skirt, she allowed the door to slam behind her.

"Fuck you." She whispered angrily._It couldn't be true!__It __**wasn't **__true! Shikamaru would never betray Konoha! Ginna had every reason to lie, every reason to want to hurt her. It wasn't true!_

_Was it his first kiss, Ino-pig-whore?_ _His first kiss…_Why was it those words that remained trapped in her head, after she had dismissed all of Ginna's lies. _His first kiss…_

_No. _Ino thought, _Shikamaru may not be a social butterfly but… he's not bad looking. He's actually kind of cute when he's not scowling or grumbling under his breath. He's kissed before, right? I'm sure of it, he must have._

It was only then that she remembered,

_

* * *

It was early summer, the year she turned seven. Their fathers, old friends from the academy, were fond of impromptu get togethers, at least once a month during the summer. The wives liked it because it meant Mrs. Akimichi did most of the cooking and the men liked it because they could lounge around and talk about "the good old days". Choji, Ino and Shikamaru were expected to entertain themselves. _

_Ino hated it. She was of an age where almost every boy was icky and the Nara and Akimichi boys where no exception. Choji was too fat and Shikamaru was too lazy to do any of the things she wanted to do. Whenever she hung out with them, Ino felt so patronized. Not so much by Choji, he was happy as long as there were ample amounts of snacks available but Shikamaru…he was infuriating. It wasn't so much that he came out and said "this is stupid" or "Flowers are dumb" but the constant eye rolling and murmured "Mendokusee…" gave her a subtle hint._

_But Ino Yamanaka was nothing if not a social creature and, for want of anyone else to talk to that day, she sought them out. That particular Sunday she found them on a hill at the north part of the Akimichi property. Choji had eaten too much barbeque, again, and was sleeping it off. When she first saw him, Ino thought Shikamaru was sleeping as well. It wouldn't be unlike the lazy little brat! He lay flat on his back and stared straight into the sky. _

"_What are you doing?" Ino plopped down next to him._

"_Watching the clouds." Was his short answer, "Go away."_

_Ino ignored him, as she often did, and settled down on the grass beside him, "What do you think that one looks like?" She pointed to the sky._

"_A__ visible mass of condensed __droplets__ or frozen crystals suspended in the __atmosphere__." He answered._

"_Smart ass." _

_Ino smiled. The swear word had the desired affect. He looked up._

"_I never heard you swear before."_

"_I swear all the time." Ino lied coolly._

"_Liar." Shikamaru sat up and looked around, "Choji's still asleep. He didn't even eat everything this time. You want some?" He gestured at the left over barbeques, "It's a little cold but-"_

"_No thanks." Ino said, "I'm on a diet."_

"_Why?" He stared at her._

"_All __girls' diet." Ino said._

"_Nuhuh." Shika disagreed, "My mom doesn't, neither does yours-"_

"_Don't tell me Choji's mom doesn't!" Ino laughed._

"_Well, she doesn't." Shikamaru continued obstinately, "None of 'em do."_

"_Well, duh!" She said, "They're already married!"_

"_So…" Shikamaru tried to wrap his fragile male mind around the concept, "once…you're married…you can get fat?"_

"_No!" She snapped, knowing that he was mocking her, "Well, yes…but I'm not going to."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_How do I know what?"_

"_That you won't get fat?" He seemed ridiculously interested in this topic, "I mean, what if you get pregnant and can't work off the baby fat?"_

"_I'll be able to." She said confidently._

"_Shouldn't a guy love you whether you're fat or not?"_

_She didn't have an answer for that. They sat in silence for a few moments and then he picked up the plate of barbeque and said,_

"_Eat it."_

"_No!" She shrieked, giggling madly for whatever reason as he tried to force feed her cold mu shu pork._

"_Eat it! Eat it, Ino!" He was on top of her stomach now, his knees on either side of her, grinning. She was laughing out loud now, trying to push him off of her. The plate had tipped over and there was sticky barbeque all over her face and his arms. Finally he got the pork into her mouth and they sat still, panting. He was close to her face now and she could feel the hot, barbequed stained breath on her face. It was warm and their sweat rolled off of their bodies on to each other. After a while they were still and Ino began to realize the awkwardness of the situation._

"_Umm? Are you gonna get off of me?" She asked._

"_I don't know." Shikamaru smiled, "Maybe."_

_Then, for no real reason at all, she sat up and kissed him. Not a real kiss. Not wild and sensual, just a little peck. It tasted like barbeque, with a slight hint of fruit salad. Shikamaru's lips were slightly chapped but they fell good against the soft pink of her own. Ino's eyes were closed but she knew Shikamaru's were opened wide in surprise. Smiling she drew back and looked at his expression._

_It was far from what she'd hoped for. His eyes were open and his eyebrows raised questioningly as they always did whenever she did something he thought was strange but his mouth was a straight line. Neither smiling nor frowning, just expressing mild surprise._

"_What was that for?" He asked._

"_Just felt like it." Ino shrugged and she felt herself growing red. She couldn't __**read **__him! Shikamaru wasn't like other people! With other people she could tell where she stood in a moment and manipulate and play with their emotions to match her needs. He was just so…__**mild**__. Not for the first time and certainly not for the last time, Ino longed to break his shell as see what really went on in that genius head of his._

_He smirked slightly then and brushed his lips against hers. It took Ino by surprise. Her doing it was one thing. __**Shikamaru **__was something else entirely! _

_He smells so nice. Ino thought. _

_Shikamaru stood and smiled at her again, as though he'd just won some sort of battle of wits. That damn smirk! It infuriated her to no end and she felt herself growing redder and redder by the second._

"_Hey, Choji." Shikamaru kicked the sleeping Akimichi lightly, waking him up, "Let's get out of here, hunh?"_

"_Right, Shikamaru." Choji stood up and followed his friend back down the hill. Ino made no attempts to follow them._

_

* * *

So that was his first kiss. _Ino thought, returning her mind to the bare prison cell,_ Mine too. _Ino thought, returning her mind to the bare prison cell, 

And suddenly, Ino wished she could go back to that moment and live her life over again. For the first time in her life, she realized what she wanted. A man who got up when he kissed her, a man who would let her have her own life, a man who smelled like spring time.

_Shikamaru…

* * *

_

Please Review. Big things coming in Chapter 6


	6. Chapter 6

Apologies for this fic. It's good, don't get me wrong but you might hate me by the end. I kind of hate myself but I needed to get this out before I went on vacation. Things have been hectic and I don't know when I'll get chapter 7 done. Hate me if you must. I deserve it.

_

* * *

_

_There is nothing quite as surreal as looking at your own grave._ Choji thought, staring at the stone tablet, where his name used to reside. Of course, the Hokage had sent ninjas out to look for them but…after a week of searching there was no chance they were alive.

_How irritating it must have been, _Choji thought sadly, _when I showed up._

There certainly was a shock when a man who was supposed to be dead showed up five miles outside of the village walls, half starved with little or no recollection of how he got there. Of course, there had been a feast in celebration of his return but for the first time in his life, Choji Akimichi didn't feel like eating.

He tried to commit suicide a week later.

The note was only a few words long; _It should have been me._

That was the same day he was put into therapy and the same day he'd met Ayume.

"I thought I'd find you here." Choji heard her voice but didn't look up as she slid her hand into his, "You okay?"

"Yeah." He sighed, "No… I don't know."

She said nothing but moved closer to him, her presence comforting every inch of his sorrow. Comforting but not erasing.

"I had another dream last night."

"The same one?"

The dreams, though they had become less frequent lately, had plagued Choji since he returned to Konoha. They were all essentially the same, he was dying. He was drowning in his own blood in the cell in Kobe 59. The blood flowing from his mouth, nostrils and various other body parts filled the room like an aquarium. Choji kept swimming and swimming to the surface but the cruel red liquid would not let him escape. The worst part was that he was not alone in the cell. The bodies of Ino and Shikamaru, broken and badly beaten flouted beside his floundering body.

He nodded and squeezed her hand.

Ayume Sanaguchi was not a ninja. She was a doctor, a psychiatrist in training, and the one person Choji'd allowed back into his heart. It wasn't that prison had made him cold and callous to humanity, in fact it had given him empathy, but the people Choji cared about had a habit of-

_They're __**not**__ dead. _Choji remind himself harshly, _They can't be dead._

The people Choji cared about had a habit of leaving him. So letting a woman into his life which, at that time, he had wanted to end, was out of the question. Fortunately for Choji, Ayume wasn't the type to take no for an answer.

She was a big woman with dark red hair and a kind smile. Ayume was the only one who would believe him, that Shikamaru and Ino were alive. Even their parents…even their parents acted as though they were dead. Choji still didn't know why Ino was not released with him. He was certain Shikamaru had said "You and Ino…" but the memories of that time were so hazy. It was that crazy medicine the sound gave him; it contained amnesia pills so he couldn't lead Konoha back to Kobe.

"How long has it been?" Ayume asked sadly.

"A year and a half since I came back." He sighed, "They're not dead. I'd know if they were."

She nodded, "I know."

"They'll have to take the names off when they get back." Choji smiled slightly. The families needed closure, Tsunade had said when Choji demanded that the names be removed from the stone as soon as he was healthy enough to shout. They needed to grieve.

"_For __**WHAT?!?**__"_ Choji had shouted, _"They're not __**DEAD!**__"_

But he'd never been good at arguing or persuading so the names stayed and to this day _Nara Shikamaru _and _Ino Yamanaka_ starred back at him in cold hard print.

"Yes." She agreed, "And then we can…"

The sentence remained unfinished. Choji knew what she'd meant to say. After Ino and Shikamaru returned, they could get married. God knew Choji wanted to. He loved her…he owed her his life but… if his friends couldn't be there. It wouldn't count with out Ino running around, ordering people about and making sure everything was perfect and Shikamaru muttering "Troublesome" as he grabbed a quick cigarette before the ceremony. Ayume understood that but…she hated to wait.

"You know I love you, right?" Choji turned to her, "I just-"

"I know." She smiled at him, "I love you too."

_

* * *

Training is an essential part of being a ninja. Your body must be a well oiled machine, capable of almost any task. The day you do not train is the day the machine breaks down and you stop being a ninja._

_Who ever said that…_Ino thought, _Never had to train tied to a bed._

Training with out use of her arms, legs or really her entire body, was not easy but that was the task Ino had set herself. It reminded her of the day that Asuma-sensei had taught them to meditate. Ino, who hated silence almost as much as she hated Sakura Haruno, hated it. You had to sit utterly still and focus your chakra in the center of your body. Choji's stomach had started to grumble almost immediately and she knew he wasn't focusing on anything but lunch. Shikamaru…well, of course he would succeed masterfully. Although Asuma did take points off when the boy genius fell asleep.

_Shikamaru…_She thought, hoping he could hear her, _You don't have to protect me anymore. I'm getting out of here…and I'll get you and Choji out too. Just you wait._

For almost a year and a half, sometimes in felt like longer, Ino had done nothing but meditate, training from her bed. It wasn't easy either, with Sasuke draining her Chakra every couple of days. That's what Ino called it in her head, it was essentially the same thing. He did more than rape her, over and over again, he stole a part of her being, her chakra and a little bit of who she was left her when he'd finished. But Ino's memories, of her parents, of Choji and Asuma-sensei and most importantly of Shikamaru, Ino's memories could rebuild the damage, replacing whatever part of her Sasuke stole with something stronger. Something she could use to save them.

Today was the day. For a year and a half, Ino had practiced the mind body switch technique without hand signals. As of yet, she still couldn't tell if she had mastered it but- there were times when she felt… beyond herself, like she was floating somewhere, undetected by humanity. Ino assumed that was what it was like to use the mind body switch technique without a body to switch into.

_Now if that bitch would only come._ Ino thought, glaring to the door. Ginna was late today. Ino hoped the girl would "forget" to feed her, as she occasionally did. But Sasuke had raped her again the night before so she was almost guaranteed a visit.

At last the heavy metal door clinked open and Ino prepared her mind. She had nothing left to lose. It was now or never.

"Pig whore." Ginna said calmly as she entered, "What did I tell you about touching Lord Sasuke?"

Ino said nothing but concentrated, repeating her mantra over and over in her head.

_Shikamaru… Shikamaru… _

Ginna's blade ripped down the buttons of her shirt. She had kept her promise, for every time Sasuke raped her a small cut was made around her right breast. There was almost a full circle now, it had gotten so bad that even Sasuke was noticing. He said it ruined the aesthetic value.

"Another cut, then." Ginna said and Ino knew it was the time to act.

_Mind Body Switch!_

Ginna started and knife fell from her hands. It worked. Ino felt like dancing for joy in her new, free body but she knew she didn't have the time. She'd improved greatly from her chunin exam days but still, she could only hold on to some one else's body for fifteen minutes at most. Quickly she set to work, finding a small silver key in one of Ginna's pockets and unlocking the restrains keeping her own body down. After she lifted her battered and bruised body from the bed, Ino sighed.

_Only a few seconds left._ She thought as she lay down on the bed and began to fasten Ginna's ankles to the bed. Only one arm was fastened down before she had to…

_Release!_ And Ino was back in her own body, lying bruised on the floor. She felt exhausted but she was free. Her body was ridged and her joints ached from over a year of forced inactivity. There were a few minutes of silence as she tried to move and Ginna's mind wrapped around what had happened.

"Damn!" She swore horribly, "I'll kill you for this, Pig Whore! I'll kill you!"

"Oh shut up." Ino sighed, "I'm trying to move my arms here."

Her right was mobile now and she massaged her wrists. The pain in her legs was dull and Ino wondered, through Ginna's shouted threats, how long it would take before she could move them. _Wiggle your big toe._ She told her self, _Baby steps, Ino. Wiggle your big toe._

After a long while, Ino managed to stand but she was still shaky and had to use the wall for support. She felt incredibly dizzy, standing for the first time in over a year, but the sight of her former tormenter helpless, prostrate before her, gave her strength.

"Shut up." She said, smiling down at Ginna, "This is karma, bitch, though it isn't half of what you deserve. Where's your knife?"

"DON'T YOU **DARE!!!**" Ginna screamed in terror, "LORD SASUKE WILL **KILL** YOU, PIG! DON'T YOU **DARE!**"

"I've got an entirely different bone to pick with Sasuke." Ino said, seeing the knife had fallen to the floor when she took control of Ginna, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna cut you. I actually kind of pity of if you'll believe that. Not enough to let you go though. Sorry."

She retrieved the knife and looked at Ginna's body, "Any other weapons on you?" She asked, "Kunai knives, shukrin stars?"

"Go to hell."

"Exactly what I'd say." Ino said, grabbing Ginna's free hand and securing it to the bed, "Now, I believe you have some information for me. Pay attention 'cause I'm only gonna ask once; Where's Shikamaru and where's Choji?"

"I won't help you, whore!" Ginna spat.

"Hey, Ginna, remember how I said I would cut you?" Ino asked sweetly, "And I also said I'd only ask where my friends are once? Well, I am damn happy to break both promises unless you tell me…right now. Where are they?"

Ginna was silent for a few seconds weighing her options. Finally her eyes narrowed in anger and she spat the words out, "North wing, Cell Block E, Pig!"

"Cell Block E." Ino repeated, "Thanks, Bitch. Well, you make yourself comfortable, hunh? Somebody'll come along. Sooner or later. I'm outtie!"

She waved at Ginna curses as she limped out of the open door. The silver key she had placed in her pocket and the knife Ino carried low at her side, the way sensei had taught her. Her entire body ached and Ino moved at a snails pace, leaning heavily against the wall. She wanted desperately to rest but…every moment she was idle was another chance one of the guards would catch her. And she could not risk that now.

_Cell Block E. _She glanced up reading the signs carved violently into the wall,_ I'm coming Shikamaru…wait for me._

This was about as far from solitary confinement as you could get. There weren't cells so much as one long hall with bars creating a small path in the middle. The room was filled with prisoners, unshaven, stink ridden men mainly.

_This won't be easy._ Ino managed to take a deep, albeit unsteady breath before they noticed her.

It started as a low murmur, here and there.

"Hey, look at that!"

"It's a woman!"

"No, shit it's a woman, Dumbass!"

"She's not one of Orochimaru's or Sasuke's is she?"

"Naw, look at her, those ain't guard robes."

_They're prisoners._ She thought, _Prisoners, just like you._

But Sasuke's word echoed clearly in her mind _If a female was set loose with the other prisoners, she would have been gang raped with in an hour._

_He has every reason to lie._ Ino reminded herself but she gripped the knife tighter as she called out.

"I'm looking for Shikamaru Nara from Konoha." She was pleased to find that her voice did not shake when she spoke, "And Choji Akimichi, also from Konoha. Are they here?"

"Naw, baby…" A sweaty, emaciated looking man leaned up against the bars licking his lips, "But I am!"

"Yeah, baby!" Another with a rather prominent hard on joined him, "I been waitin' for ya!"

Cat calls and lewd shouts filled the air and Ino tried to make herself heard above the ruckus, praying that there was at least one decent human being in this pit. "Please! I need to find Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi!"

"I got what you need!"

"Give you some Choji Akimichi."

Ino felt horribly dizzy and the urge to vomit was almost over whelming. Clearly, there was no help to be found in this quarter. She pressed onward, not knowing exactly what lay ahead but some of the bolder ones' hands were reaching out through the bars, grabbing at her legs and she knew she couldn't go back. There was collective out cry when Ino escaped that hall way and breathed a sigh of relief. Then she got a look around. This place was darker, with a sinister air to it. There were no windows on these walls, a few in the last hallway had at least provided light from the outside. The only illumination here was a solitary light bulb swing from a lonely black cord in the center of the room. From its light she could see the bars on either side of her and Ino wondered for a moment who exactly was trapped here. The stench of filth and disease was not so rampant here but it was still painfully apparent that more that ten people pissed in here. It was dead silent and Ino wondered if she weren't actually alone when cold, calloused fingers circled around her ankle.

"Hey." A voice whispered softly in the darkness, "You looking for Shikamaru Nara?"

"Yes." Her fear was momentarily forgotten, "Do you know where he is?"

"Aye." The voice, clearly a males, agreed, "But before I be tellin' ya, you gotta do something for me."

"What?" Ino asked, fearing the answer.

"Open the door."

"I can't."

"You're the Yamanaka, aren't ya?" The voice asked, "I can hear things… through the walls so I know, right? Sanna was supposed to be feeding' you but she's a cold hard bitch, ain't she? So you got the better of her, stole her silver key did ya?"

"Yes." She breathed, scared out of her mind.

"That key opens up every cell in this block." The man said, "Includin' this one. You open the door and I'll tell you where Shikamaru is. Dig?"

It was her only chance. "Let go of me and I will."

"You gotta promise now."

"I promise."

The hand released her and withdrew into the darkness again. Ino fumbled her way to the lock and fitted the small silver key into it. The lock was large and rusty and it took a few minute to clang open. Hoping she would not regret it, Ino allowed the door to swing open in front of her. The room was silent for a few moments and then thousand of hand reached out, grabbing her harshly, pulling her bodily into the dark cell.

In a moment the rest of the lights were on and, blinking, Ino surveyed her predicament. _Out of the frying pan, into the fire. _She thought grimly, staring into the many leering ghoulish faces that held her down on the hard concrete.

"Get the hell off of me!" She shouted angrily, "Now!"

"Naw, sweet heart." The voice had so easily tricked her now had a face attached, swallow and unshaven, pale as though he'd never seen the sun, "Maybe you could defeat Sanna easy as pie but we ain't psycho little bitches, we're big psycho bastards, dig? Plus, you ain't got enough Chakra to kill a bird."

_He's right._ Ino thought angrily, _God, what have I gotten myself into?_

"Where's Shikamaru?" She asked, refusing to let her fear show, "Tell me."

They laughed then. "I don't know who the hell you're talking about!" The pale man grinned, "You're gullible as hell, bitch. Guess you'll know better now."

_No…_ She sucked in her breath, deciding what to do, _I came too far to let it go down like this. I won't, if I can help it. Not without a fight!_

She shouted then, a battle cry of epic proportions. _No chakra but enough anger and bitchitude to get the job done!_ Ino thought, shaking her would be rapists away, finding her feet and stabbing blindly with Ginna's- Sanna's knife.

"Get the fuck away from me!" She'd stabbed but not enough to cause serious damage and their surprise at her attack was short lived. Hands and grinning faces came out at her and she beat them away, "Where's Shikamaru? Where's Choji?"

"I got your Shikamaru right here!" One shouted, grabbing her wrist. Ino punched him in the face with her free hand but another was there behind her. And another and another and another.

_There's too many of them._

"FUCK!" Ino swore, fighting wildly, "Let me go! I'll kill you! I swear to god I'll kill you!"

* * *

Shikamaru opened his eyes.

* * *

I'M SORRY!!!! I'm a tease, I know it! I'm a literary tease! Oh, I'm sorry to leave you hanging like that! I'm so sorry! I swear, I will TRY to get the next chapter out to you soon. I am getting out of school and will have much more time to do stuff after I get back from my grandparents farm in the country. I'm not exactly sure if they've got access tot he internet but I will walk to the library for this thing. At least I gave you some decent Ino action. 


	7. Chapter 7

Finally, the long awaited return of prison camp! I hope this is good I had two weeks to work it out. Please enjoy and review.

* * *

"_Take care of my body, Shikamaru."_

If someone had asked him, Shikamaru couldn't have said what prompted him to check the east cell block that morning. If questioned, he might have grumbled that it was a feeling, a troublesome emotion that wouldn't go away. Yet now, as he raced past the prisoners, as a woman's screams fill his ears and the corridor, Shikamaru knew.

"Let me go! Stop it! Let me go, **you fucking bastards!**"

There were only ten women in Kobe 59, only six of them screamed and only one screamed like that.

"I kill you! I swear to god I'll **FUCKING KILL YOU!!**" That was Ino alright. When in doubt, threaten death. It had always worked of Shikamaru and Choji

"Stop it! Help me! Help me somebody!"

Why had she come here of all places? The East Cell Block was reserved for the dregs of the dregs of society, rapists, murderers, thieves, people Orochimaru wanted for their killing sprits.

"I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you! Help me! Somebody, **please**! **SHIKAMARU!!!**"

"_Take care of my body, Shikamaru."_

And then he was there! There was actually an entire system of lighting in this particular cell but, light deprivation being one of Orochimaru's favorite forms of torture, only one had been illuminated. Shikamaru pounded the fuse, showering the room with light. He would need shadows for this work.

There were about thirty prisoners in this cell and ten of them surrounded Ino. One held her head down close to the flood. Two more held down each struggling arm and another pair had her legs spread open wide. The last stood in front of her, oblivious to Shikamaru's entrance, trousers dropped, knife in hand and dick erect. Shikamaru killed him first and then the other holding her down. Ino had fainted when she saw him and when the other's realized what had happened, he killed them as well. Unlike Ino, Shikamaru had had ample opportunity to hone the shadow neck bind technique that made his family famous and he'd built up his chakra enough to dispose of her attackers quickly and efficiently. It was only then that he looked at her.

Ino lay unconscious on the hard stone floor. Her feet her bare and her long blonde hair had fallen out of its tight pony tail. Poor Ino. She'd always been so proud of her long silky hair. The worst day of her life, she'd once told him, was the time she had to cut it of in a battle with Sakura.

_I spent five years on this hair. _She had sighed, _how long do you think it will take to grow back?_

It didn't take long but now it would have to be cut off again. What once was immaculately maintained to the point of obsession had become dirty, matted and impossibly tangled/ He doubted they would have let her brush it anyway.

Her clothing was obviously stolen, a short robe, rather like the one Sanna wore, and a short faded blue skirt. Her breath came in short spurt and Shikamaru was suddenly aware that he needed to get Ino out of there. Someplace Safe.

But there was no safe place in Kobe 59. The prisoners had seen them come in and would see them come out and, while they had no great love for Orochimaru or those who carried out his orders, they had no great love for Shikamaru either, and would betray him in a second for little more that a slice of bread. But they couldn't stay and wait for discovery. The safest place he could think of was the room Orochimaru had given him. Of course, it would be the first place they looked for her but at least they could be alone to plan their next move.

They hadn't starved her but the ease with which Shikamaru lifted Ino into his arms told him that she hadn't regularly been feed. But her body heat against him said that there was no real cause for concern. Ino was a trooper. She would not die here, not if he could help it.

* * *

When Ino awoke, she had no idea where she was. As she glanced around the room, trying to gauge the situation, Ino Yamanaka became acutely aware of two things. One, she was on a soft white mattress in some sort of apartment and two, someone was watching her!

"Shika…" He was the last person she expected and the one she'd most wanted to see. He'd not changed much since she last saw him, perhaps he'd grown taller. What did it matter what he looked like! He was here, sitting on the kitchen counter with a cool smile playing around his lips, "Shikamaru!"

Ino leapt up, tossing the sheets aside, and threw her arms around him!

"Opp! Ino!" Shikamaru grunted. She'd knocked the wind out of him. Ino had always been good at exuberant displays of affection, "It's good to see you, Ino."

"It's good to see you, too!" Ino laughed. It was the mother of all understatements, she knew, but even after everything that had happened, it simply wouldn't do to just come out and say she loved him. Instead, Ino let him go and surveyed her surroundings more intimately. They were a more comfortable habitat than she'd seen in a long time. It wasn't possible- they couldn't be-!

"Where are we?" She asked excitedly, _God, if we're in Konoha, I __**will**__ tell him I love him!_

"Kobe 59." Shikamaru said sadly, "There're still bars on the windows and enemies outside the doors. Sorry, Ino."

"It's alright." She said, and sighed so that he knew it wasn't, "Where's Choji?"

Shikamaru said nothing and stared down at the floor. He closed his eyes briefly and Ino blood ran cold. Sasuke's words came crashing into her memory.

"_Akimichi Choji isn't taking it so well. This morning, he was dying of scurvy."_

"Oh God…" She whispered, her eyes growing wide in fear, "Oh God, Shika, please… He didn't- he's not- Please! Tell me he's not-"

"He's not dead." Ino couldn't help it. She hugged him again and held him close. It was all Shikamaru could do not to kiss her. Instead he inhaled deeply, imprinting her scent in his memory forever. He had to tell her.

_God…_ He thought, _She's gonna hate me._

"He's not dead." Shikamaru repeated, hoping he was right, "He was released."

Ino looked up, the import of those words as well as Shikamaru's comfortable surroundings suddenly taking horrible effect. _But- It can't be true! _She thought, wildly,_ it's not true! He wouldn't- He- Oh god, Shika, tell me it's not true!_

"Released?"

"I-" Shikamaru inhaled slowly, bracing himself, _She's gonna make this hard, isn't she? Just tell her, you coward; just do it_- "I joined Orochimaru-"

She pulled back in horror, her steps faltering as she tried to get away from him. The hurt and shock and disbelief in her eyes and then flashing anger, he thought he might die under that stare. "You betrayed Konoha!" Ino hissed in fury.

Shikamaru stared at the floor. "I don't deny it."

"You betrayed Asuma!" She shouted at him, tears squirting angrily from her blue eyes. This was the worst thing they couldn't have done to her. They'd taken her friends, her freedom, her virginity and now…now Shikamaru…now the man she loved was on the same side as- as-

"Shhh!" Shikamaru hissed, "You want them to hear you!? You want to be captured?! Orochimaru-"

"I DON'T **CARE!**" Ino screamed, "I don't care if they do hear me! I- I can't even look at you! You're worse than all of them! You're worse than Orochimaru! You're worse than **SASUKE!**"

Four words. Four thousand arrows through his body at once. Sasuke. He was worse than Sasuke, the one person Ino hated most in the world. It hurt- It physically hurt to know exactly what she thought of him. He couldn't look at her, couldn't face the hate in her eyes.

"Shika…" Ino whispered, "Why?"

"I'd do it again if I had to." His voice was soft but resolved, "He was dying, Ino. My best friend- dying. I couldn't let that happen…I couldn't let him die. Don't think I don't care about Konoha. Don't think I don't hate myself for betraying Asuma. I'd die for Konoha but I won't let Choji. Or you."

She said nothing. The sound were cruel men indeed, to trade one life for another. Shikamaru had given up more than she had. He'd given up more than freedom to save Choji's life, he'd given up his home, his values, everything except him life. Anger had passed and Ino was suddenly filled with a great and terrible anguish. She didn't see how they could move on from this. If only they had started earlier…if only she'd realized from the start that she loved him, would it hurt as much? Or would it hurt more? If only things had worked out differently.

Her silence was killing him. He had to know what she was thinking but no- it didn't matter was she thought of him. It didn't even matter what happened to him, just as long as Ino stopped hating him long enough to escape. Then Shikamaru could die quietly, comforted in knowing that she was safe.

"Ino… you can hate me if you want to but I-"

"I don't hate you." She said softly and Shikamaru looked up, marveling at the incredible sadness in her voice, "I couldn't… hate you. I-I take back what I said about you. I didn't mean it. You're not- You're not like- like Sasuke…"

"I know how he hurt you." Shikamaru said, "I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you."

"Don't worry about it." Ino looked away, inexplicably embarrassed, "I'll be alright…"

It was a lie, he could tell, but then… she had earned her lies. God but Ino was beautiful. She was one of those women who was always beautiful, no matter what clothing or situation you put her into. But Shikamaru had never seen Ino like this. So vulnerable, so incredibly sad. Her skin was deathly pale and a bruise was beginning to darken around her eye. No, that couldn't be Ino, brave fearless Ino, barely standing, shaking in the corner. She looked…she looked, for the first time, as if she needed him.

No time seemed to pass between Shikamaru standing there, looking at her, and his arms wrapping tightly around her shoulders. Ino thought vaguely that she should say something but all she could do was gaze up at him. Shikamaru said nothing, he did not look at her but she could feel his breath pass through her, in and out as though they were the same person. She inhaled deeply and he smelt so warm, so safe. She pressed him closed against her and he smelt like home.

"Shikamaru…" She whispered, "Don't let me go. Please…Don't ever let me go."

Shikamaru did not answer but relaxed his grip. Ino looked up at him, her eyes pleading, her lips trembling…trembling…trembling until he couldn't stand it anymore. He pressed him lips to hers and she responded in kind, kissing him until they had to break apart for air. Her mouth was dry as desert sand but Shikamaru drank her in like white wine, savoring her taste. Ino did not want to let him go. She pressed her palm firmly against his cheek, pulling him closer to her.

"Ino…" He whispered, the moment she release her grip, "Ino, I love you."

He hadn't meant to blurt it out like that, but Ino didn't seem to care about his words. Instead, she drew him closer, kissing him over again and again.

"Shika…" She murmured, "Shika, please. Please hold me, Shika. Shikamaru."

Then, with sudden and unending clarity, she knew what she wanted. She'd been so blind before this, so confused, but now Ino knew. For the first time in her life, Ino Yamanaka knew what she wanted. She wanted him. She wanted Shikamaru Nara inside of her. More than anything, more than home, more than safety, more than freedom even, she wanted him.

Ino said nothing of her desire to him but her fingers found their way down to his belt and began to arduous task of removing it. Shikamaru opened his eyes and took a step backwards.

"Ino."

"What?" Her eyes were pleading and her arms out stretched, "Please, Shika, I love you. I want to be with you, a part of you."

How long had he waited to hear those words from Ino? Two years, more than that, to hear her say those words. _But… People do desperate things in prison. They do things that would be fundamentally wrong on the outside._

Ino had spent over a year in solitary confinement. She had suffered innumerable indignities and torture. She'd been raped. The psychological damage was immeasurable. Right now, she wanted the familiar. Him. Shikamaru knew this. She wasn't in her right mind, it would be cowardly of him, thoughtless, to take advantage like this. He'd already gone too far. And then there was…

He knew it did him no credit, to think that way. It was one of those stupid, masculine, testosterone driven things that he was occasionally prone to. He didn't blame her- How could he?- but… there was something in knowing that someone else, particularly **that** someone else, had been inside of her, he couldn't shake it. It was ridiculous but… _It is a fool who looks for logic in the human heart._ Who was it who said that? The fourth hokage? Or had Shikamaru just heard it in a movie somewhere? He couldn't remember.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"It isn't fair to you."

"It's Sasuke, isn't it?" She'd let him go and Shikamaru turned. He couldn't look at Ino anymore. Her eyes, the interminable sadness and understanding in them… She'd read those same psychology books as he had. He wanted her so badly and yet-

"When I look at you…" The words tore from his mouth like water from the floodgates, "I see him."

"Don't." Ino's voice was soft. Shikamaru felt her soft, warm little had enclose around his and he didn't pull away, "Sasuke meant nothing." She spat the name out with hatred, "He **was** nothing. As far as I'm concerned, it didn't happen. I'm a virgin."

"Ino…" He turned, not daring to believe it.

"Shhh…" Ino brushed her lips against him and whispered, "When you look at me, don't see him. He's not there. I love you. I see you, only you."

"Only me?" He smiled slightly and took her back into his arms.

"Only you." She whispered, "My Shikamaru."

_**

* * *

**_ Shikamaru's mattress was much softer and more luxurious than the hard prison cot she'd been strapped to for eighteen months. Ino wondered if Ginna was still tied to it but no. No, she wouldn't think about that room or what happened inside of it. It seemed so long ago, anyway, when she was with Shikamaru. He was so warm, so gentle, where as Sasuke- 

_Don't. _She told herself firmly, _don't think about it. When he- When Sasuke raped me…_Ino had promised herself that the name would never frighten her, _when Sasuke raped me…I tried to escape, at least in my mind. I thought of other things, other people. I won't do that now. I'll stay here with Shika and I'll keep my eyes open so I can keep my promise. I'll see him. Only him._

* * *

"Shikamaru." He smiled when she spoke his name and brushed the hair away from her eyes. He wondered if he could trust her, hell, if he could trust himself to be quiet enough to avoid detection.

_Someday,_ He promised himself, _unless Ino tells you different, you can make love to her as loud as the hell you want._

He prayed to god Ino wouldn't tell him different. When all this was over and Ino returned to Konoha, would she love? The chances of Shikamaru himself returning to the village were slim to nil, but if he did and she didn't love him…Shikamaru didn't know what he'd do. She said she loved him, she probably thought she did, but Ino-

A swift kiss reminded him not to think so much. Ino was there, smiling beneath him. Her eyes were open, the only piece of sky Shikamaru had seen without bars across it in a long time. She was looking at him, whispering his name.

_Oh well._ He thought, _I'm gonna die anyway._

"God, I love you." Shikamaru told her.

Ino smiled up at him, "Show me."

_

* * *

_ Ino gasped in pleasure as his fingers began to deftly peel away her clothing, _that lazy boy Shikamaru would be so good at this?_ They hadn't even gotten to the go part yet and still he was attentive to her every need, even before it registered in her mind. Her alternated between kissing her and working on removing her shirk and occasionally Ino would reach up and trace her fingers along the lines of his well defined abdomen. 

_How on earth did I miss those?_ Ino sighed as they vibrated against her fingers. Certainly Shikamaru was no body builder but he'd removed his shirt often enough in training-

The sudden halt of Shikamaru's fingers brought Ino out of her musings. Shika's eyes rested on her breasts and his features set into a frown. Ino glanced down quickly and saw the reason his brown furrowed. A simple line of small cuts around her left breast. A gift from Sanna/Ginna, to memorialize every time Sasuke raped her.

Shikamaru couldn't know what the marks meant but he knew that they weren't there before and Ino could feel the white hot rage coursing though his body. He was beautiful in anger, but the look on his face told her he was ready to kill some one. Much as that might please her, right now, Ino wanted him here with her.

She reached up and put her hand on his cheek, causing him to look into her eyes. "Shika…" She reminded him gently.

Shikamaru said nothing but at her, his features softened. He lowered himself down and kissed her on the lips and then the cheek and down passed her neck, finally kissing each scar around her breast and the other one as well.

Ino sighed happily and whispered his name over and over again. He was messing about with her skirt then and Ino sat up, kissing him softly. Shikamaru did not seem perturbed at having his progress impeded and Ino made up for it but unbuttoning the bedraggled apparatus herself. She was about to pull it down but Shikamaru stopped her, whispering;

"Let me. I want to see all of you."

She smiled as he stood and surveyed her naked body in beautiful entirety. His eyes rested on her face in cool contentment but those hazel orbs darkened as they traveled down the rest of her. Her skin was paled from the long months of confinement and the marks of that confinement were achingly evident. She was still beautiful, nothing could change that but her hair was matted and tangled and the bruises from when she'd been beaten were beginning to darken. Black and blue patches marked Ino's wrists and ankles where they'd been bound to the bed and small scars from someone's knife made his blood boil and the of shame came rushing back to him. But her eyes, Ino's sky blue eyes comforted him. Those smiling orbs that reminded him that she was there, alive with him, and speaking his name.

"Shikamaru."

"Ino." He whispered back to her, bending low to kiss her soft pink lips, "My Ino."

_**

* * *

**_Ino gasped with delight and Shikamaru had to kiss her hard to make her be quiet. She felt he would have to kiss her over and over again to keep her silence. Not that she minded. Shikamaru's kisses were like Air to her now and his whole body a cool oasis of water in the desert. 

Shikamaru kissed her to keep himself quiet as much as anything. Never before had he felt so exhausted and yet so blissfully fulfilled at the same time. Ino had reached her peak about a second ago, he could tell from the way her fingernails dug painfully into the back of his neck and the scream he swallowed kissing her. He could feel his own coming on-

"Aww! Ino-" Her hand shot up, covering his mouth and muffling the scream that he'd held in for so long. It was a few moments before his mouth relaxed and he opened his eyes to see Ino smiling up at him.

"Hypocrite." She whispered smugly.

"Shut up." He whispered back and kissed her, rolling over next to her on the mattress.

"I love you, Shikamaru." Ino told him, "But you have very dirty sheets."

Shikamaru smiled, "Whose fault is that, troublesome?"

Ino sighed and snuggled in closer to him. "Mine." She said with a smile, "I do love you, Shika. Believe it."

He looked at her then and tenderly brushed a troublesome clump of bangs out of her face. "I believe you, Ino." He said, kissing her lightly on the forehead, "And I love you too."

Ino pressed in close to him and in a few minutes she was asleep, but Shikamaru remained away for some time, listening to her soft breath go in and out and promising himself over and over that he would never let anyone hurt her ever again.

* * *

Shika and Ino reunited! Was it worth the wait? Its all coming to a climax (no pun intended) now. Big things in chapter 8 


	8. Chapter 8

Well here it is! Chapter 8. Comin' to an end soon. Once again I apologize for this story. It's not as bad of a cliff hanger as chapter six but I am going on a trip next week and I don't know when chapter 9 will get done. but thats in the future. For now, enjoy.

* * *

"_SHIKAMARU! Shikamaru!!" He wasn't there! He wasn't there! Dear__** GOD, where was he?!?! "SHIKAMARU!!"**_

_There was no answer to her frightened pleas. Only laughter, cold, cruel laughter that Ino had prayed she would never hear again. And then…_

"Ino! Ino, snap out of it!" It was Shikamaru's voice that brought her back to reality. He was there, shaking her with concern written over his face. Ino's face looked so relieved when she saw him, Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh softly at her, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Shikamaru!" She knew he was laughing at her. She didn't mind. Ino had a feeling that being in love with Shikamaru meant you were laughed at quite a bit. It was enough that he was there.

Ino threw her arms around him and Shika could feel warm tears splashing against his chest. Now he was entirely lost but he held her close and stroked her hair as he would comfort a child.

It was a long time before Ino could speak. When she finally got the words out, they were soft and broken apart. "I dreamed… you were gone… I couldn't find you… I couldn't… He-"

"Shhh…" Shikamaru didn't need to hear anymore and it obviously hurt Ino to talk about it, "Troublesome woman… you know I wouldn't leave you."

"I love you, Shika."

"Mmm." He kissed her softly and got up out of the bed, "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Ino nodded. "Clothes?" She asked.

"Most definitely." Shikamaru grinned at her naked body, "In the closet over there. To your left."

"No bras, I suppose." Ino sighed, selecting a t-shirt dubiously.

"No." Shikamaru said, putting on a dark pair of pants "Don't get picky, okay? I'm surprised they haven't-" It was only a moment, a brief second of instinct that told him they were in danger.

"Hide."

"Shika."

"Bathroom. Now!"

Ino complied immediately and locked the door soundlessly behind her. Shikamaru glance quickly around the apartment. No time to hide the evidence.

_You may have to fight your way out of this one._ He bit his lip and braced himself.

_**BAM!! **_The door was kicked in and Sasuke entered. His face was cold, impassive, as soldier on a raid. He was followed by Orochimaru and two guards.

"Alright, Nara, where is she?"

Shikamaru said nothing.

"You're going to make me guess, are you?" Sasuke raised his eyebrows, "Someone's rebellious."

"Shadow Neck Bind!"

"Sharingan!"

Shikamaru was thrown backwards, his body slammed against the back wall with a dark hand circled round his own neck. _Fuckin' Copycat!_ He thought as he desperately tried to free himself.

"Sasuke!" Orochimaru exclaimed in horror, "I want him alive, Sasuke!"

Sasuke shrugged and lessened his grip around Shikamaru's neck. "Restrain him." He ordered the two guards.

The two men trotted quickly over to him and ruthlessly pulled Shikamaru's arms behind him, tying the tightly. Sasuke released the shadow neck bind and Shikamaru was forced to his knees. Orochimaru saddled forward and leaned into him.

"Shika, Shika, Shika…" He sighed, "You really are a fool."

"This one's locked." Sasuke called outside of the bathroom.

_Ino-!_

"Open it!"

_Ino, get out of there! Ino!-_

"One thousand birds!"

The door was annihilated in a storm of electricity and he could hear Ino's voice shouting, "Mind Body Disturbance!"

"Body Flicker!" A puff of smoke and a second later, his hand was around Ino's neck, lifting her clear off the ground.

"Bring her out."

"MOTHERFUCKERS!!" Shikamaru shouted, rising, forgetting his bonds, "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!"

"Don't move, Shikamaru." Sasuke said calmly, "If I use One Thousand Birds right now, she'll be dead long before you could reach me. Now get down."

He was right and Shikamaru knew it. His hands were once again out of commission and all he could do was watch helplessly. Ino had managed to pull the t-shirt on before Sasuke had captured her. Her bare leg flailed in the air and she gasped for air, vainly trying to peel his fingers away.

"Sh-Shika-!" She managed to whisper and their eyes locked.

_I'm sorry! I promised I'd protect you…_

_Help…me…_

"Shikamaru!" Orochimaru said, "We're back at the bargaining table again, now, aren't we? I've given up on Ino Yamanaka. She no longer interests me. The mind body switch is useless if I have to leave my own form to use it. It hasn't done her much good, has it?" He chuckled humorlessly, "But **you**, Shikamaru. You're still a hot commodity. I'm not a patient man but I've waited quite sometime to possess you. All of you…your technique… your body…" His long snake like tongue protruded and he licked his lips greedily, sending an involuntary shudder through Shikamaru's body, "Now the question is, what will you do…to ensure her safety?"

"Shika!" Ino gasped, looking straight at him, "Don't-"

_I have to._

"Let her go." He ordered.

"Why should I?" Orochimaru grinned.

"Because you'll get me…" He hesitated, "All of me."

Orochimaru raised his eyebrows, "Intriguing. All of you. Does that mean your body as well?"

"Aye…" Shikamaru said, not looking at Ino.

"For how long?"

He looked up, "What?"

"For how long?" Orochimaru laughed, "I know you, Shikamaru. I know how your conniving little brain works. You'll wait until that wench over there is safely free of our walls and then all you'll be able to say is "No, no, no." How long do I get power over your body?"

"A year."

"Kill her."

Sasuke's hand tightened and Ino gurgled, desperately trying to pry his fingers loose. "No!" Shikamaru shouted.

"Then make another offer!" Orochimaru ordered, "Quickly before she runs out of air!"

"Two years! Please, Orochimaru, two years!"

"Two years? Shikamaru…" The snake lord clicked his tongue sadly, "For such a pretty girl? You can do better than that!"

"Shika-!" Ino gasped, "Shika, don't-!"

"Three years!"

"No!" Tears filled her eyes but Orochimaru smiled.

"Three years is acceptable. Let her go, Sasuke." The Uchiha complied and Ino dropped unceremoniously to the ground, gasping for air.

"Cut Nara's bonds." Sasuke ordered the guards, "Don't do anything stupid, Shikamaru, or it'll be worse for you."

"She'll be let go?" Shikamaru asked, "Back to Konoha."

"You have my word she'll never see the inside of one of my prisons again." Orochimaru smiled, "We'll leave you two alone. One final good bye."

The door slammed close behind them and Shikamaru went to her. Ino had regained her breath but now her body trembled and quaked with sobs. It hurt him to watch her cry like that, like the world was ending.

"Ino…" He whispered, his own eyes welling with sadness, "Ino, shh… Don't."

She looked up and tears streamed down her cheeks, "Shika…" She wrapped her arms slowly around him, "Shika, why…?"

"I told you…" Shikamaru swallowed hard, trying to hold back the tears, "I won't let you die here."

"Shika, no…" He could feel her tears roll down his body, "Shika, don't do this. Don't do this for me… I can't… I can't!"

"You can." He grabbed her shoulders and looked at her, "Ino, listen to me. You don't need me. You'll be alright."

"No…" She shook her head, "No."

"Yes." Shikamaru persisted, "You'll be alright. Go home, Ino. Go back to Konoha."

"Not without you." She whispered, "I'm not going without you."

"Yeah, you are." He smiled ruefully.

"But you'll die… Shika, I know you, you won't… and then they'll kill you!" Ino sobbed harder at the thought, "And it'll be my fault and I can't…I can't!"

"I'm not gonna die." He whispered, "I promise you that. I'm not gonna die as long as you're safe, Ino. That's all I need. I need to know you're okay. I can survive anything else."

"How do you think I feel?" Ino cried, "I love you, Shika. I can't leave you here and just go home. I-I-I can't. Please, don't make me."

"Ino, don't do this." He held her close, "Don't cry. Don't them the satisfaction. You're strong, remember? Remember Ino Yamanaka? She's strong. She's a survivor. Don't cry."

Ino sighed deeply and when she looked at him again, her eyes were dry. "I won't cry."

"That's my girl." He kissed her softly and she didn't let go.

"I hate this."

"Me too."

She kissed him again a long sad kiss of goodbye. Ino wanted to give him something. Something to keep him safe, to help him remember. But it seemed that Orochimaru and Sasuke had taken everything from her, even Shikamaru. Everything but a promise.

"I'll wait for you." She whispered, "If you promise to come back I'll wait."

"I promise."

"Promise."

"I promise I'll come back."

"Promise me."

"I promise, Ino."

She sniffed and smiled slightly, "That's three times you promised."

He smiled back at her, "I'll promise twenty times more if it'll keep you happy."

"You seem to be making a lot of promises today, Nara." Sasuke entered again and Shikamaru grabbed Ino and pulled her close.

"Get the hell out of here." He hissed.

"No." Sasuke shrugged, "You've had long enough. Too long, I think. Cuff him."

The guards had handcuffs now and Shikamaru was quickly brought struggling to the ground. "Ino, run!" He shouted, "Run!"

Ino hesitated, looking at his face, his pleading brown eyes. That was all Sasuke needed. He grabbed her wrist so hard; Ino thought her bones might crack.

"Let go." She commanded, trying to hide the fear in her voice.

"You know, Shikamaru, every woman in this camp belongs to me-"

"LET HER GO!!"

"And I do not take kindly to other people using what is mine!"

"Shit!" Ino swore violently as he threw her to floor and stood over her, laughing. She clenched her teeth and struggled against him. She would not run away this time. This time she had her arms, she had her legs. She would not try to escape into her mind this time. This time she would stay and fight!

After a few minutes of struggle, Ino found what she was looking for. Sanna's knife, right where Shikamaru had dropped it the night before. That knife had saved her life once already and Ino silently thanked her psychotic caretaker as she dragged deep across Sasuke's faces.

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!**_" He screamed and recoiled away from her. Ino lost no time. She scooted quickly from under him and back away, laughing. Shikamaru couldn't help but grin as well. This was why he loved Ino. She was always full of surprises.

"Think Sakura will like you as well with that scar, Sasuke?" She laughed, "I hope you bleed to death, you insignificant little fuck!"

"Get…her!" Sasuke ordered, clutching his face. The guards however seem rooted to their spots. Ino glanced at Shikamaru.

"Shika…"

"Run, Ino."

She nodded but moved toward him and pressed her lips against him. They were soft and wet and warm and Shikamaru prayed that no matter what, he would never forget that kiss.

It ended when the guards regained their senses and pulled her from the room. Ino's eyes, as they dragged her away from him, were the saddest things he'd ever seen and her lips mouthed the words she knew he wanted to hear.

_I love you._

* * *

Was it decent? Lotsa twists and turns in that one. Please review. 


	9. Chapter 9

Okay, for those you who haven't been paying attention, Ino has escaped from Kobe 59! Now three years will pass in the blink of an eye. There is only one way to accomplish this... MONTAGE!!! LITERARY MONTAGE!!! Enjoy.

* * *

"You okay, Ino?" 

Choji always knew where to find her. From the moment Ino had been allowed to leave her hospital room, she'd visited the grave everyday. There were the names carved out in stone, _Sarutobi, Asuma_ and _Nara, Shikamaru_. One right after the other. Her fingers brushed against his name and then against the blank space where her own, _Yamanaka, Ino_, used to rest.

"I saw Sakura today."

Choji sighed and sat down beside her. "You didn't hit her again, did you?"

"No." Ino said, "I wanted to. She's such a twit."

Twit was a mild way to describe it. Sakura simply refused to accept the truth. Sasuke Uchiha had raped Ino Yamanaka. Ino wondered exactly what kind of person Sakura thought she was, to lie about something like that. She hadn't wanted to admit it but Tsunade had demanded a full report and Sakura had specifically asked, pleaded for news of her old teammate. So Ino had laid it out, black and white, word for word. She refused to be delicate about it. There was nothing delicate about it.

"_You're a liar!" _She'd screamed so loudly that Choji, waiting in the hallway, could hear her.

"_Sakura!" Tsunade snapped at her apprentice, "Control yourself!"_

"_Sasuke wouldn't! He wouldn't! You're a __**liar**__!"_

"_I'm a liar?" Ino said, her voice dangerously calm, "__**I'm **__a liar? You're fucking __**hero **__betray Konoha, betrayed you, by his own free will and ignored the sacrifices made for him and __**I'm **__a liar?!"_

"_Ino, you fucking pig!" Tears flowed down Sakura's pretty face like rivers, "You fucking whore! I __**hate**__ you!"_

"_You're a child, Sakura." Ino stood up to face her, "After all this time, you're still a fucking child! Holding on to that crack pot dream that your __**Prince Sasuke**__ will come and rescue you! Accept the truth! He doesn't care about you or me, he doesn't care about Shikamaru, he doesn't care about Naruto and he doesn't care about Konoha! He's a traitor and lying rapist and all he cares about is his own fucking vengeance!"_

"_Liar! Ino, you lying- lying, __**Pig Whore!**__"_

_Who is this? Ino thought, Sanna? Maybe you were always Sanna, fucking obsessed over someone who doesn't exist!_

"_Grow up, Sakura."_

"_I hate you!" Sakura shouted, "I hate you and that lazy asshole Shikamaru!"_

_**BAM!! **__Sakura hadn't been expecting Ino to slap her. What ever pity Ino had harbored for poor deluded Sakura had left her the moment Shikamaru's name was spoken. __**No one**__, with the exception of Choji and their parents, was allowed to speak of Shikamaru to her like that. It was all Ino could do to keep from killing the bitch right there._

"_You believe whatever the hell you want." She said dangerously, "I'm out of here."_

"I really wanted to hit her today." Ino sighed, "I would have but… people generally don't like fist fights in the grocery store."

"What'd she do?"

Ino thought. "Nothing really. She just inspires violence in me, I guess."

Choji nodded, "Naruto's the same way."

Ino laughed, "I noticed he was supporting a couple of black eyes."

"Men work through their differences in strange ways." Choji smiled, "Beating the crap out of each other is one of them. I actually like Naruto…we've just made a pact never to talk about Sasuke again."

"I don't think that will work with Sakura." Ino said, "Naruto didn't love the bastard."

Choji looked closely at his friend, "Are you really okay, Ino?"

"I'm pregnant."

Choji sat dumbstruck for a few moments. Ino had told him everything, albeit not in great detail, that had happened in Kobe 59. That Sasuke raped, that Shikamaru saved her and that they had- the implications were confusing to say the least.

"Is it-"

"Shika's I hope." Ino sighed, "It was only the one time though so there's a pretty good chance-"

"It's Shika's." Choji said.

"Choji, there's a significant possibility-"

"It's Shika's…" Choji repeated obstinately, "Because Shika's the one who loves you and Shika's the one whose coming back."

She sniffed and wiped a speck of dust- or was it a tear- out of her eye. "He did promise." She said softly, "He's not dead, Choji. I'd know if he was but…he might be tomorrow and then… no matter whose it is, this baby won't have a father."

Choji put his arm around her and Ino rested in comfortable sadness on her friend's chubby shoulder. "He'll be back." Choji said softly, "He promised."

* * *

"Shadow Neck Bind!" 

"Sharingan Eye!" Damn, but he was fast! Shikamaru felt the dark fist tighten round his throat and heard Sasuke's cold voice, "Why are you trying to kill me, Nara?"

"Force of habit." Shikamaru choked, smirking at his enemy, "I keep thinking I'll catch you off guard sometime."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and released his grip, "Keep thinking that then." He said, "Its no concern of mine what you do."

"That's why you lock your door when you sleep." Shika said, "I don't fight fair, Sasuke. I will kill you if you let your guard down."

"You're an irritant, Nara. Little more than a bug." Sasuke took a seat on a nearby chair, "Barely worth killing. You're lucky Orochimaru likes you."

Lucky was not what Shikamaru would have called it and the Uchiha knew it. That was the one thing these two had in common. "No." Shikamaru said, "**You're **lucky Orochimaru likes me. Who'd he fuck before you came along, Sasuke? Kabuto?"

Sasuke stood and drew his katana, pointing it at Shikamaru's throat. "I could end you right now."

"And go back to being chief Bitch in residence?" Shikamaru grinned, "You miss him that much?"

The Uchiha sheathed the sword and sat back down. "You are a good strategist."

"Ten steps ahead, baby."

"You're bold. And I would say stupid if I didn't know your I.Q myself. Why do you persist in making your own life harder?"

Shikamaru grinned again, "That's what comes from having nothing to lose. That's what comes of **knowing**… that whatever you do to me… it'll be a fucking release compared to what I've been through."

"What about Ino Yamanaka?"

Shikamaru said nothing. He made it a point not to think about Ino anymore. Not to remember her, the way she looked sleeping next to him, the smell of her hair, the warmth of her touch, the taste of her lips on his mouth. He knew the moment he let himself remember her, remember that she was out there, safe and waiting for him, he would have a reason to live. He would have a reason to be afraid of death and that would cripple him. But he dreamed about her still and the one night they'd been together.

"You know, I think that scar is your best feature, Sasuke."

"Too personal?" Sasuke asked mildly, "Very well. Let's talk strategy. Orochimaru wants a raid on one of the Suna villages…"

Shikamaru did not listen to Sasuke explain the reasoning behind Orochimaru's plot. The snake lord was always making attacks of villages, spiriting away the best warriors in the land for his own private army. He supposed that was why he was allowed to live. That and the other reason…

It had been over a month since Ino had been released. A month and two weeks to be exact. The first week was the hardest. After the first week, he knew he could survive just about anything. The first week of his **total** allegiance to the sound, Orochimaru had been quite eager to test out his new "toy" as Shikamaru was horrifically and affectionately entitled. That was the week Shikamaru decided to try not to think about Ino. There was something terribly humiliating about being fucked up the ass against his will (actually, everything about it was terribly humiliating) that thinking about Ino did not help. He just wished Orochimaru's tastes didn't lean towards _**that**_. If only he'd been beaten or starved or-

But he wasn't. For the first week that Ino was gone, Shikamaru had had his hand tied behind him again. He was locked in Orochimaru's quarters and he was…naked quite a lot. It saved time, Orochimaru said. Actually, Shikamaru was alone for most of it. Sanna came in every day to feed him. It was much better food than he and Choji had ever received. Sanna appeared to have given up her crusade to fuck him now that Ino was gone or perhaps it was because nobody else was allowed to "play" with Orochimaru's "toys". Yet he was naked quite a lot in her presence and between Sanna's staring and Orochimaru…he had no privacy.

After the first week, things were better. True, he was still forced to retire to Orochimaru's bedroom each night but he got to walk around and put on clothes and plan strategy. Planning strategy was the only thing he enjoyed about Kobe 59, not that he would ever admit it. He pretended it was Shoji with Asuma-sensei or his father. That was how you survived in prison. By staying one step ahead of your opponent.

* * *

"Whore!" The whispered word followed her where ever she went like a disease. 

_Boy. _Ino thought mildly, _if I had a nickel for everything somebody called me a whore…but nine months pregnant with no boyfriend or husband in sight will do that for your reputation._

She would have told the perpetrator off but she just didn't have the energy. Being pregnant really helped her identify with Shikamaru's philosophy on life. However, if the lazy ninja had been there, Ino felt certain she would have wanted to whack him over the head. Right after she made love to him like there was no tomorrow.

"Aww shit!" Her body rocked with pain, "Ugh, shit this baby wants out."

Being pregnant eat up your chakra so Ino had to stagger to the Konoha hospital on her own two feet. Fortunately, Choji's girlfriend, Ayume Sanaguchi was on duty that day.

"Ino!" She looked up as the Yamanaka entered, "Its time?"

"I'd say so." Ino grimaced and grabbed the wall for support.

"I'll get you to your room." Ayume said quickly, "Here, lean on me. Is there anything else you need?"

"P-pain killers." Ino clutched her protruding belly, "God what a violent kid!"

"Right. Pain killers." Ayume repeated, helping Ino climb into bed, "Anything else?"

"Ch-Choji. He'll want to be here." Choji had followed Ino around like a dog for the passed week, waiting for her to squeeze the kid out because "Shikamaru told me to take care of you!", "Tell my family too and Shikamaru's parents."

Ayume did so and another nurse came in momentarily with the pain killers. They did their job immediately and Ino sat comfortably in her drugged up stopper.

_Shikamaru. _She thought quietly, _I wish you were here._

* * *

"It's a boy!" Ayume beamed, "A healthy baby boy." 

"Let me see him." The baby was still bloody and still bawling at the cold world it had been thrust into, but Ino had to know for sure. Miraculously the child stopped howling when she took it and regarded her intently with deep hazel eyes.

"Heh." She couldn't help feeling a bit relieved, "I knew you were Shikamaru's. Twenty two hours of labor. You sure took your time about."

"Here." Ayume reached out, "Let me wash him off."

"So what are you going to call him?" Shikaku, Shikamaru's father, asked.

Ino hadn't really thought about it. She was more concerned with getting the thing born and figuring out who the father was but the name came to her instantly. It was as if it had always been there, just waiting for her to speak.

"Shikachi."

"That's a good name." Shikamaru's father frowned slightly, "But what about Shikamaru?"

Ino shook her head. "It'll make things confusing won't it?" She said, "When his father gets back."

Shikaku leaned back against the hospital wall and said nothing. Ino Yamanaka had been officially adopted into the Nara clan several months ago. She still refused to give in to the idea that Shikamaru was dead. Shikaku knew it was wrong for him to give up home like this but…being a ninja meant death. It had been almost three years since he'd last seen his son. He'd resigned himself. Shikamaru was dead and this small crying thing in his daughter in law's arms was all that was left of him.

_Let her keep her hopes._ The new grandfather thought taking his place at Ino's bedside to look at the baby, _I have a grandson!_

* * *

"So…I hear you killed Orochimaru." The rumor had flooded Kobe 59 like the plague. Shikamaru was particularly intrigued because…at the very least it meant his body was his own again. However, it could also mean he was about to die. Now as Sasuke Uchiha sat idly across from him, he had to know. 

"You heard correctly."

"So…" _This is what it all comes down to. _Shikamaru thought suddenly, _After three years, liberty or death!_, "Now what?"

"You're free."

"I'm what?"

"Let's not get emotional, Shikamaru." Sasuke said coldly, "I have no further use for you. I'm dissolving Orochimaru's organization and pursuing my own agenda."

"Itachi." Shikamaru said. By now he knew Sasuke's entire history and quest.

"Precisely." He agreed, "Much as you irritate me, I don't really want to kill you."

"Thanks for that." Shikamaru stood, "So I can go."

"Not quite yet." Sasuke said, "There's still the small matter of whether or not you really want to kill me. After all, I did take your woman."

"True." Shikamaru sat down again, "And I don't think I forgive you for that…"

"No?"

"But I suppose I owe you a life debt now, don't I?" He sighed, "How troublesome."

"You once said you wanted to kill me."

"I still do." Shikamaru admitted, "But I don't think I could, you know? So here's what I propose. You stay away from Konoha. You stay away from me and the people I care about. I don't try to kill you."

"It seems fair." The Uchiha sat back, "I guess this is good bye then."

"Lets not get emotional." Shikamaru said, "I'm not gonna thank you, considering you should have done it five years ago. I'm gone."

Sasuke watched him as he walked slowly out of the room and Shikamaru never felt so tired in all his life. The fact of the matter didn't even dawn on him until he was outside of the prison walls. He was free. He'd survived. He was going home.

"Ino..." Shikamaru had not dared to say that name aloud for three years, "I'm coming home."

* * *

Well, wasn't that a good montage? I skipped over the more dramatic parts. I refuse to write about ass raping. I sorry. Incidently, Ino's opinion of Sakura matches my own. She just...inspires violence. 

I wrote this in one day, just before I go on vaction so no new chapter untill I get back next week. But I promise it will be filled with Shikaino goodness. ONE MORE TO GO!


	10. Chapter 10

Ahh, the homecoming... I've looked forward to writing this since I started this fic. Tear drop. I feel just like J.K Rowling when the 7th Harry Potter comes out. Except I'm not ridiculously rich. Stupid copywrite laws...

Anyway, I just want to thank everybody whose read and reviewed Prison Camp. You people give me hope for humanity. I tried to make this very good and I am proud of it. Hopefully you all will like it too. Enjoy.

* * *

_Shika… Shika where are you?_

"Mom?" Shikachi's voice rocked Ino out of her thoughts. Her son would be three soon. He'd inherited his father's big brain, already talking in complete proper sentences, though not a lot with as slight lisp. His black hair was pulled into a small pony tail exactly as Shikamaru's had always been. Shikachi knew exactly what his father looked like from the picture that rested near Ino's bedside. His uncle Choji, his grandparents and of course his mother, told him everything there was to know about Shikamaru Nara, the late great shadow user of Konoha. Actually it was only his grandparents that thought their son was dead. Choji still held out hope and Ino wouldn't hear otherwise.

"Mmm?" She opened her eyes. Ino slept late in the day now. Nights were terrifying. After three years, she still had nightmares about her time at Kobe and what might be happening to Shikamaru. And in the dark, quiet desolation of her own house, Ino couldn't remember where she was. So she slept in the day time, in case woke up.

"You said we could go out today." Shikachi reminded, "We need more wild flowers."

"That's right." Ino sat up. After Shikachi's birth, she'd officially given up being a ninja. That was how it worked in most families with the exception of the Inuzukas. Now Ino worked two jobs, one at Yamanka Flowers and one at the Nara's pharmacy. Shikachi liked the pharmacy work better, though not nearly as much since his grandfather died last year. Yoshino Nara was retired now. She had buried her husband and, so she believed, her only son. Now she took pleasure in her deer, her daughter in law and Shikachi, the last of the Nara clan.

"Can we go?" Shikachi was impatient. That was his only noticeable difference from Shikamaru. Whereas the Shadownin would probably still be asleep at ten am, his son had been up for hours and was ready to get things done.

_Shikamaru will teach him different when he comes back._ Ino thought rising slowly from her bed.

_**If **__he comes back. _That nagging, terrifying thought still lumbered after her. Ino did not dare to speak it out loud, not even to Choji or Ayume. Even in the back of her mind it terrified her._**If **__he comes back_. That was a huge if. He'd promised he would. Three times he'd promised and she had promised she wait for him. But three years was a long time to wait, a long time not to know what happened to him and a long time to raise a child by herself. He wasn't dead, Ino was sure of that. She would know the second that that man left the earth because her heart would break. Ino's heart was such a fragile thing nowadays. Shikachi was all that kept it beating now. Her only reason to live.

"Yes, we can go." She smiled for her son's sake, "Find your shoes, okay?"

Shikachi left obediently and Ino stepped into the shower. It would take him a good thirty minutes to locate said articles. Ino knew that because she was in the habit of hiding Shikachi's shoes. The small boy never kept track of them anyway and he had been known to leave in the wee hours of the morning if they were easily accessible. This way Ino got to shower.

"Mom?" His voice had the same irritated twinge as Shikamaru's, "Did you put my shoes on top of the wefrigewator?"

"Maybe…" She hated to lie to the boy but… he was getting too damn smart from her sanity. When the boy's father came back, Ino had no doubt she would completely lose her mind. One Shikamaru was boggling enough…two-!

_Two would be fantastic. _Ino sighed; giving way to hot water and memories, _Oh, Shika, if only you could see him…he's almost as smart as you. If only you could see him…if only I could see you._

_

* * *

_He chided himself uselessly; _this is what you get for being so damn cock sure! Where the hell am I?_

Shikamaru really had no idea why anyone thought he was a genius. He was a damned idiot! Five years in prison, five years of getting screwed over (figuratively as well as literally) and he couldn't even find the way back to his village.

_All these trees look the same! _He thought, frustration mounting, _It's been five goddamn years, things can't have changed that much! I don't even know where the hell I started from!_

It could have been worse. He could have been out wandering the desert still. Kobe was located on the border of The Land of Sand and The Land of Grass. Shikamaru thought briefly of trying to get to Sunagakure and making contact with Temari, who could easily get him back to Konoha. Their Kazekage, Gaara, who was also Temari's brother, owed a debt (apparently) to Konoha, and would have been happy to help. But Shikamaru did not want to waste time. He knew the way (he thought). Just go east through grass and bam! You're there! But The Land of Fire was a large country and Konoha was not call the village hidden in leaves for nothing. After about a week of heavy travel, living off whatever he could beg or steal, Shikamaru had managed to get himself thoroughly lost.

As it had been for the past five years, the thought of Ino kept him going. She was waiting for him and, with the exception of his mother; Ino was the most impatient person he'd ever met. Three years she'd been waiting, she was bound to be pissed. He could handle pissed.

_This is looking more familiar…_ He thought grudgingly, wishing he'd brought food and/or cigarettes. His addiction had suffered horribly in prison. The smell of flowers wafted to his nose…

* * *

"Mom!"

"I'm coming. I'm coming." Ino had pulled her hair back into its traditional long pony tail. It had grown back to its original length since she'd been forced to whack most of it off three years ago. Most of Konoha was off the streets to day, at the office or training in the forest if they were ninja. Shikachi ran ahead, the soft _**patch, patch, patch**_ of his shoes were the only sound.

Shikachi knew why his mother moved so slowly. His father's absence was a constant weight on her shoulders. True, she acted happy. She laughed and smiled when something amused her or made her glad, but the smiles were empty and there was hollowness in her laugh.

"We're here." He said, gesturing at the end of the village.

"Not yet." Ino said, stepping outside the walls, "Now."

"You wemember what we need?" Shikachi asked.

"Wildflowers, I was told." Ino said, "Why don't you go find some?"

Shikachi raised an eyebrow, "What're you going to do?"

"Watch the clouds for a bit." She smiled up at the sky, "Don't worry, I'll catch up with you."

Shikachi sighed in a manner that reminded her far too much of his father, and left Ino to her musings. She smiled and settled comfortably on the grass. This was the place of her childhood. So many memories. Picking flowers with her mother, training with her father, barbeques with Choji and…

_It shouldn't hurt so much to think about him._ Ino thought, sadly, _it's been three years. It shouldn't sting like this._

But it did. Ino knew that feeling sorry for herself would not bring him back, nor would it help her raise Shikachi. But it was so hard. It was so hard not to think about him. **Everything** was a reminder. Shikachi, Choji, the clouds, the sun, the scent of the flowers, the man standing in the shadows at the edge of the forest, watching her…

She couldn't make out his features from that far off but there was something familiar about his shape. He stood tall, but not strong, in the midst of the shadows, like a soldier who'd seen too many battles. Ino stood, shading her eyes from the sun. She could not see much more. His hand rested upon a tree and his head was toped with a small black pony tail.

_No, Ino._ A voice spoke softly from the back of her mind, _don't do this to yourself. Its not him. Don't get your hopes up. How often have you seen that shape only to find it wasn't there?_

But Ino's heart beat had already quickened and she trembled softly. Her body knew, despite whatever her brain might tell her, she _**knew**_. The figure moved slowly into the gleaming sunlight and she knew him. How could she not? She knew those arms. They had held her closely as tears fell from her eyes. She knew those eyes, they had watched after her for so many years. She knew those lips and the sounds they made when they spoke her name. It was his name that passed through her lips now, barely a whisper because she feared he would shatter and disappear into the wind again.

"Shikamaru…"

* * *

She was crying the last time he saw her as well. Shikamaru had a feeling that these tears were slightly different than the others. She was taller now and she had paled visibly when he approached but no much had changed. He still wanted to end her tears, to grab her and hold her until he knew she was alright but…he was so goddamn tired. She looked at him, her lips trembling and he felt like he should say something but no words came. Fortunately, Ino always knew what to say.

"Shikamaru!"

He staggered but managed to stay on his feet as she hit him running. He breathed deeply and the smell of her… it was some sort of flower, he was sure, welcomed him home. Ino held him tightly, tears pouring from her eyes and his arms closed gently around her. She was so soft. A sigh slipped passed his lips and Shikamaru listened joyfully to her babble.

"Shikamaru…" Her voice was choked with happiness, "You came back. You came back."

" 'Course I came back, Ino." He whispered, "I told you I would."

"I know." She hugged him tighter, "I know you did…I missed you so much."

"Ino..." He said in a husky voice, wiping the tears from her eyes. Ino smiled and placed her hand on his cheek, kissing him softly. It ended fair too quickly for Shikamaru and he kissed her again coming up only for air.

"Shikamaru…" Her arms reached far around him, sliding up and down his body, making sure he was all there.

"God, I love you."

"Show me."

He would have been very glad to do so, many times over, if only he hadn't looked passed her shoulder. Later, he would decide that it was so much better for everyone that he had looked instead of just going at it, but a chill was sent straight up his spine. A little ways off, watching them with wide eyes of hazel was a carbon copy of himself. Albeit much smaller. The boy, he supposed it was a boy though the thing look to be of an age where gender was not entirely obvious, couldn't have been more that three. It was clothed simply, an orange shirt with some symbol in the middle of the chest, light blue shorts with it's black hair bunched into a ponytail on top of his head.

"Ino…" Shikamaru stared, trying to keep his voice calm, "What is that?"

Ino glanced over her shoulder and smiled softly. She had honestly forgotten the boy was there. Who could blame her? Who could blame Shikamaru, coming home to a son he didn't know he had?

"That…" She tried to keep down her laughter, "That would be your son."

"Oh." He'd let her go, much to Ino's disappointment, and crouched down, staring at the child in great confusion, "When… did I get a son?"

"He'll be three in April."

"April…" The mathematics of it all suddenly dawned on him and he looked back at her, "But…there was only that one time…"

Ino shrugged, "Once is all it takes."

"Uh huh." He looked at the kid again, "What's your name?"

"Shikachi Nara." The voice was small and father and son regarded each other for a few moments in silence. Then Shikamaru said,

"That's a good name. I'm Shikamaru."

Shikachi nodded, "I know. You're my father."

"I guess so." The boy must have taken a tip from its mother is displays of affection. He hit Shikamaru like a bullet with a strangle hold around his neck. Shikamaru couldn't help it. He grinned and Ino laughed softly.

"Shikachi…" She smiled down at the two of them, "Your father will need to breathe eventually."

"Its fine, Ino." Shikamaru gasped as his son loosened his grip. His arms wrapped around the little body and hoisted it onto his shoulders.

_This is my kid. This is my __**flesh and blood.**_

The idea was not as scary as he thought it would be. He looked back at Ino and smiled. She smiled back and walked forward, slipping her hand into his. She would have to wait to welcome him back fully. It was alright. She was just happy he was back, safe with her.

Shikamaru's stomach grumbled, "Ino, where's Choji? I need to eat something."

His father had returned and, for the first time that he could remember, Shikachi Nara heard his mother laugh.

* * *

The boy slept silently. It had taken him quite sometime to get Shikachi down and asleep but he had done it. Now the boy's gentle breathing was the only sound that penetrated the still night of Konoha and Shikamaru wondered again how he had managed to get there. He'd given up on Konoha, given up on ever seeing Ino or Choji again and yet, here he was. Safe, home, alive. With a kid, no less.

"What are you doing?" Ino came up softly behind him.

"I still can't believe it." He whispered, draping his arm around her shoulders, "What a day."

"Mmm." She leaned comfortably against him, "There's another one tomorrow."

"Yeah…" He smiled softly, "We've got a kid, Ino."

"I noticed." Ino's amusement was deeply apparent, "You forget, Shika, I carried him around for nine months. Come to bed."

"I told him I'd stay here."

"He'll be fine." Ino said, slightly irritated at Shikamaru's level of devotion. He was a great father but she ought to come first. She turned and kissed him soft on the lips. "Come to bed." She repeated.

Shikamaru's eyebrows raised and he smiled at her. Ino grinned but he glanced over his shoulders to the sleeping boy, "Much as I'd enjoy that… won't it wake the boy?"

"It's been three years, Shika. Yes, it will wake the boy."

"Well then-"

"That's why god invented locked doors." She said, reaching behind her and closing the door, "Shikachi will still be there in the morning."

"**You **are an unnatural mother."

"And **you **are an unnatural man unless you come to bed right now!" Ino was now sorely displeased with him.

Shikamaru raised his eyebrows and frowned at her, "I'll show you unnatural." He threatened.

"That was my intention." She smiled and dragged him toward the back bed room.

_**

* * *

**_ It took him a moment to remember where he was. The room was dark and all was still except for the crickets outside and Ino's soft breathing. Shikamaru glanced down beside him. Yes, she was still there, her eyes still closed and her hair long and yellow. Shikamaru sighed as his heart beat began to slow. He supposed it would take him a while to get used to this. Not being scared all the time… 

"Shika?" Apparently Ino was as heavy of a sleeper as he thought, "Shika, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." He said, "Bad dream."

"About?"

"Take a wild guess."

"No, I changed my mind." She wrapped her arms around him, "I don't want to know. Are you better now?"

"Yeah, go back to sleep."

"Naw…" She kissed him softly on his ear, "I can't. You woke me up. Now you've got to keep me occupied."

Shikamaru smiled and kissed her neck, "I think I can think of something." She grinned as he rolled on top of her.

"You usually can." She reached up, putting her arm round his neck, "I love you, Shikamaru."

"And I love you."

* * *

EPILOGE:

It was not long before Ino was pregnant again with their second child.. Thankfully, Shikamaru decided he ought to "make an honest woman out of her" before she truly began to show. It was a small wedding, close friends and family only. Needless to say Sakura Haruno was not invited. Their daughter Kuina inherited her mother's looks and her father's attitude. Both children excelled in ninjetsu, when they put in the effort

The search for Uchiha Sasuke continued but Shikamaru Nara was not a part of it. Ino decided a long time ago that Sasuke was not near worth the trouble he caused and would not allow his name to be spoken in her house. She was a busy woman between two children and two jobs, not to mention her "lazy ass" husband.

Shikamaru did go back to being a ninja. Ino was against it at first but relented after he spent three weeks lying around the house. Mostly, he served Konoha as a professor at the ninja academy but that didn't stop Ino from worrying when he did get a mission. Ever the woman of action, as soon as both her children were safe at the academy, Ino rejoined the troops. She said it was to watch Shikamaru's back. Shikamaru said it was because she liked to kill things.

Shikachi proved to be a skilled ninja and married Cho Akimichi when he was twenty six years old. Kuina, like her mother, savored independence but had a brief, passionate affair with the nephew of Kiba Inuzuka. Shikamaru did not especially prove but Kuina was the most troublesome person he'd ever met so he did not complain.

Shikamaru died in his sleep at the age of 89 and three months. Ino was depressed but not heart broken and she followed him to the grave with in the year. Theirs was not a story of war, not a story of grand sacrifice for their country. Both agreed they would have died for Konoha, but they lived for each other.

* * *

_Sigh_. It's all over. No, I didn't kill Sasuke. Shikamaru and Ino just decide revenge wasn't worth it. That and I'm lazy. So you'll have to wait untill Kishimoto kills him instead (heres hoping) or you can use your imagination and make up his death (maybe Sakura kills him, that'd be cool)

So basically it's happily ever after for everyone in the story and us too. At least I hope for us too. I really hope you guys liked this and I hope you'll come back and read some new fics by me. Thank you again for your wonderful support. You are the best!


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